Human rights violations in EC while politically connected benefit
31 March 2015
Note to Editors: These are remarks made today by the DA Parliamentary Leader, Mmusi Maimane MP, following an oversight visit to Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape today. Maimane was joined by DA Eastern Cape Leader, Athol Trollip MPL, DA Shadow Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nosimo Balindlela MP, DA Shadow MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dorah Matikinca MPL, and DA Shadow MEC for Economic Development, Ross Purdon MPL.
Today I visited villages in the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) in the Eastern Cape to conduct oversight over the R631 million project to build 66 000 toilets in rural villages, currently being undertaken by the politically connected Siyenza Group.
The tender for the project was awarded to Siyenza in November last year by ADM without due process being followed. It has since emerged that Siyenza is linked to family of President Jacob Zuma, ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe and Small Business Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu.
Despite the large payments made to Siyenza for "work already done" - almost 20% of the total tender amount - only 5 000 out of 66 000 toilets have allegedly been built according to Siyenza CEO, Bongani Mpeluza. This makes it seemingly impossible to meet the June deadline for the project.