Report declaring water supply to KZN hospitals safe, was ignored to flout tender processes, Zondo commission hears
22 January 2020
A report deeming the water being supplied to hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) safe, was ignored to flout tender processes in the procurement of water purification plants, the commission of inquiry into state capture heard on Wednesday.
"They used a problem in water to procure goods from Intaka, despite a report stating that there was not contamination in the water [which] was ignored," forensic auditor Trevor White said, as the commission turns its focus to the alleged capture of law enforcement agencies.
White was referring to the relationship between a company Intaka, owned by wealthy businessman Gaston Savoi, and the KZN Department of Health.
The forensic auditor gave the chair, Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) Raymond Zondo, a glimpse into how "processes were circumvented by entities, that are linked to one another, submitting competitive cover quotes against one another".