Ziwaphi Relentless quest for the truth
A special team is investigating the state of several infrastructure projects, some of which Premier David Mabuza promised would be completed within 100 days of his appointment.
The projects include a R885 691 project to install boreholes in the Umjindi local municipality in Barberton and the Nkomazi local municipality in Malalane in 2009.
“As the department we have noted that some of the boreholes installed by the department are not fully functional and, on that basis, the department has commissioned a team to investigate and verify all infrastructure projects that were done by the department,” said spokesman for the provincial department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), Simphiwe Kunene.
He said the team was expected to conclude its investigations in the next few weeks.
Cogta awarded an R885 691 tender to Twala Samba Trading following Mabuza’s inauguration as premier to install boreholes.
Even though the company failed to complete the project in time, Cogta paid Twala Samba Trading R362 295 for an invoice dated December 4 2009.
The invoice, which is in the possession of Ziwaphi along with other documents, does not specify what work had been done.
It merely states: WORK DONE RE BOREHOLES AT UMJINDI & NKOMAZI MUNICIPALITY.
AENS visited the projects and found that some of the boreholes were built within five metres of existing boreholes.
Cogta has appointed another company to complete the project, without going through a tender process.
The payment to Twala Samba Trading was also not captured as fruitless expenditure in Cogta’s annual financial statements for the 2009/10 and 2010/11 financial years.
In terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), the head of department is obliged to disclose fruitless expenditure in the annual financial statements.
Further investigations by Ziwaphi established that Twala Samba Trading subcontracted another company, Fourie Drilling, to work on the borehole project.
Company owner, Pierre Fourie, confirmed he was a subcontractor, but declined to comment further.
He said a certain Michael at Twala Samba Trading should comment and gave Ziwaphi Michael’s number.
The man who answered the phone said his name was not Michael, however, but Ngrayi.
“You’re talking to Ngrayi, not Michael.
I don’t know who Michael is,” he said before hanging up immeiately.
When called the second time and asked questions about the borehole project, the man hung up again.
Further investigations revealed that Ngrayi’s full name is Ngrayi Michael Ngwenya and that he’s an ANC regional executive committee member who is known to be a big supporter of Premier Mabuza.
However, Ngwenya’s name does not appear as a member of Twala Samba Trading.
The registered directors are Sibongile Afina Sambo and Lilly Prudence Twala.
“I know Michael, but there is nothing I can say about this matter at this moment,” said Sambo, when called for comment.
A Facebook site called Mpumalanga Province Anc (sic) has been posting critical comments about Premier David Mabuza and other party bigwigs, most notably Ngwenya, who gather at the Premier’s home.
When African Eye News questioned him at the time, Ngwenya confirmed visiting Mabuza’s house.
“Me and Mabuza are not close friends, but I support him as a leader of the party we both work for. I have been supporting all my leaders in the province. I only visited Mabuza just to collect ANC materials for campaigning, not for friendship,” said Ngwenya.
The provincial ANC said it was trying to uncover the creator of the site.
