'Bad' 2010 buses still haunt transport bosses

A north West transport parastatal is embroiled in a R140-million scandal involving buses used during the 2010 World Cup.

The agency bought 95 second-hand buses for the tournament, allegedly without following proper tender procedures. The procurement was said to have been linked to board members.

North West Transport Investment, which runs public transport in the province, wants the expenditure written off after it was flagged as irregular by the auditor-general.

The revelations were contained in a forensic report that came to light this week. The investigation was commissioned by the North West department of transport, which has sat on the report since 2013.

The buses, which allegedly did not meet safety and other technical specifications, were used to ferry soccer fans during the World Cup.

The report, by Mochabapula Consulting Services, implicates North West Transport Investment board chairman Phatudi Maponya and former CEO Tshepiso Letselela.

The report was referred to the Hawks in 2014.

According to the report, a sub-committee of the board, which included Maponya and Letselela, authorised the purchase without the approval of the entire board.

The buses had been poorly maintained and had no maintenance warranties.

Maponya, who left the agency after 2010 but returned last year, said the report was flawed and contained inaccuracies.

"We never received [the forensic report] for us to respond. There is no merit in all the things they said. That forensic report was done to siphon money from the company because they [the investigators] didn't have proper jobs," he said.

According to the report, companies owned by a friend of Maponya's, Mohamed Paruk, were chosen by the sub-committee.

Paruk's companies delivered 50 buses, with the balance coming from Mercedes-Benz.

The investigators said: "Mr Paruk and his three associated bus companies did not have the capacity to deliver the buses.

"Instead, he acted as a middleman and the buses were sourced from Cargo Wadeville and other third parties."

Through his lawyers, Paruk said he had been approached by the agency to supply the buses and that the vehicles had met specifications.

He did not respond when asked whether his companies had tendered for the contract.

Paruk denied having any relationship with Maponya.

Maponya said that last year the agency resolved that the R140-million should be written off after the deal was declared irregular by the auditor-general.

"I was there when those buses were acquired and then I left," he said.

Letselela said that he was never given an opportunity to make an input to the report and has since moved on with his life.

"I am aware of the Hawks' investigation, because at some point a certain captain called me and I asked for the report, which did not come.

"I think [the report] was a way to remove me because if there was anything there would have been a follow-through, with warning statements. But it is 2017 now; nothing happened," said Letselela.

Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi had not responded to questions about the investigation by the time of going to print.