Per kilogram they cost the equivalent of a fillet steak - 27 rabbits bought by the zoo for R14,190. The document that The Times has seen is for an invoice for 64.5kg of rabbit.Some say it is a further example of tender irregularities where companies are putting huge mark-ups on food supplied to Johannesburg City Parks and the zoo.A kilogram of rabbit supplied by Oluhambo Trading Enterprise cost the city R220 a kilogram.Another meat supplier providing rabbit to a lion farm charges R35 a kilogram. The same supplier also provides rabbit for human consumption at R75 a kilogram for more than 20 rabbits."That price for a rabbit is ridiculous," the supplier said.One former zoo employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that good quality rabbit used to cost between R40 and R45.The former employee said the exorbitant invoice appeared to be further evidence of huge mark-ups companies put on feed for the zoo."Food used to be bought from the market every morning, where you were able to choose the best produce and there was no middle man," said the former employee.Another invoice from Oluhambo Trading Enterprise shows 15 cabbages for R1,440, three "spinach" for R300 and three baby tomatoes for R90.Johannesburg City Parks in a statement said Oluhambo was awarded the contract as its bid was the "most affordable prices across all the line items required..."Please bear in mind that some items will have a higher mark-up to offset the items that are under market-related prices," the statement read.The invoice for the vegetables, said City Parks, was for bulk purchases, not single units.According to the Department of Finance, Oluhambo's tax certificate expired in July last year.This was five months before the company invoiced the zoo for the rabbits and vegetables.According to the department, government should not be conducting business with companies whose tax affairs are not in order.Attempts to contact Oluhambo were unsuccessful."Johannesburg City Parks Zoo has a very stringent monitoring process in place to ensure that all service providers have a valid tax clearance certificate," the statement read."Non-compliance on this issue or the inability to provide a letter from SARS advising that a new tax certificate is in the process of being issued, will result in all new orders being suspended."..