It was announced yesterday at a press conference attended by city manager Trevor Fowler and chief municipal operations officer Gerald Dumas that Madonsela had been asked to investigate following a mayoral committee meeting last week.

Fowler said the city had done its own investigations through its municipal public accounts committee and the Johannesburg risk audit service department.

The DA had cast doubt on the contracts the city signed for the hosting of the pageants, on which more than R120-million was spent.

Asked why the city was raising the matter three years later, Ruby Mathang, member of the mayoral committee for economic development, said it had hoped "the matter would be dead and buried by now".

"[But] we are saying we're not going to hide anything. We're going to make all the information necessary for the public protector to make her own findings on the matter . We will cooperate fully with her.

"Even the confidential matters will be given to her, because we think it's important the city clarifies all these matters."

Mathang added that the budgeting for the pageants had been above board. "Adjustments are done every time . so there is nothing illegal and there is no corruption in any adjustments."