Tenderpreneurship is ruining our already embattled country: iLIVE

It is inconceivable and scandalous that at a time when South Africa and the rest of the world were mourning the passing on of Nelson Mandela, few scoundrels within the Buffalo City Metropolitan area utilised that period of national grief to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers.

No amount of motivation or explanation will make sense of the city’s recklessness at popping out R6 million to pay a shady tenderpreneur for submitting inflated and bogus invoices for services not rendered. 

In fact, the speed with which the city bosses rushed to ensure the company was paid out on December 23, 2013 smacked of corruption and collusion. 

To make matters worse, the very same tenderpreneur, Mzwandile Sokwali submitted an additional fictitious invoice demanding a further R3 million for the shady deal, and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, having listened to their spokesperson, is in the process of paying out again. 

It has also emerged that one of the service providers purported to have been sub-contracted to ‘provide catering’ at a cost of R900 000 has come out to claim that she did not provide any service and is amused that R900 000 was deposited into her bank account. 

Need I say more?

The public protector, SARS, Hawks, Auditor-General and other relevant bodies must as a matter of urgency conduct a forensic audit into the entire transaction, and act swiftly to bring to book all officials and politicians found to have crossed the line.

This rot and corruption is unacceptable at a time when South Africans are finding it very difficult to stay afloat due to high inflation and cost of living. 

A speedy investigation and jail-time for the bogus merchants will teach other criminals a lesson, and hopefully the ruling party will also respond quickly and decisively by taking strong action against public representatives found to have facilitated and authorised the dirty deal. 

Enough is enough with all this corruption, and we can’t allow the Taxigate scandal to maim us at a time we are battling to breathe because of the heavy toll on our shoulders of Nkandlagate.