ALSO READ: North West Department to scrutinise tender worth R134 million

This comes after a meeting held between two committees of the Provincial Legislature and the department in question.
 
ALSO READ: North West Department summoned before the legislative committees

The Chairperson of Scopa, Job Dliso, says they welcome the Independent Forensic Investigation by the department to probe allegations of an R134 million tender awarded to an allegedly blacklisted contractor.

On Friday, 21 July 2023, the department appeared before the two Provincial Legislature Committees to explain allegations of tender irregularities involving millions of rand.

The department presented allegations that it allegedly awarded the contract to a company that was previously terminated due to poor workmanship.

The R134 million tender to the company, Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services, to patch and seal roads in Wonderkop, is said to have been awarded unlawfully.

OFM News previously reported that MEC Oageng Molapisi recently confirmed receiving the report and ordered an independent forensic investigation to be instituted urgently.

The report indicates that the department has no record of any official termination of contract concerning the two abandoned projects but only a "notice of termination’’ that was issued to the contractor.

ALSO READ: A contractor that fails to finish North West roads receives a new one

It's said that the termination processes were never concluded and that there was no process to register a complaint against the contractor.

Molapisi has since directed the Head of the Department, Moses Kgantsi, to institute an internal investigation on the tender awarded to Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services.

"It is an anomaly that a project is abandoned. Nothing is said about it, and officials continue with business as usual. I demand accountability for this negligence and waste of taxpayers’ money."

In finding a permanent solution to this matter, Molapisi has directed Kgantsi to terminate the department’s contract with Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services without delay.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has requested all documents relating to the Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services’ controversial R134 Million Khunotswana Tender. https://t.co/33vqbY0sYw pic.twitter.com/u3Zsfj30zt

— African Times (@ATNewsSA) July 24, 2023

Molapisi has also outlined the following terms of reference to guide the independent forensic investigation:

1. Investigation of the appointment of Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services for contract PWR 127/14 from Khunotswana Village towards N4, for a total amount of R134 million.

2. Investigation of project management on the following contract: (a) PWR 09/17B-FA23 for patch and reseal of road D521 from road P51/1 in Segwaelane to Wonderkop. The appointed service provider was Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services. (b) PWR 09/17D FA-24: Patch and Reseal of Road P63/1 from Letlhabile to Hebron (Gauteng Border), including intersection improvement on the Mangope Highway. The appointed service provider was Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services.

3. Investigation of any other abandoned project by Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services.

OFM News