Latest news with #WayneDuvenage
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Never-ending parliamentary village build ‘a cash cow'
Civic groups demand answers as Mpumalanga's parliamentary village remains incomplete eight years after its deadline. Civic activists have called on authorities to investigate why the Mpumalanga government has not finished the construction of the province's parliamentary village. The project, begun in 2014 and should have been completed in 2017, was originally budgeted to cost R300 million, but has now sucked up more than R500 million. Mpumalanga provincial spokesperson George Mthethwa said the government was 'striving to finish the project as soon as we can. Mpumalanga's parliamentary village remains incomplete 'A lot of work has been done.' But he added, that 'one of the major factors of delays is interruption of projects by communities demanding employment and the construction mafias, who demand 30% from contractors.' ALSO READ: Dam level warnings intensify in Mpumalanga 'These challenges put the lives of workers at risk, thereby obstructing the finalisation. In some instances, delays are caused by natural causes, such as rain.' A source close to the matter said the project was being delayed intentionally because 'there are government officials who rented out their houses to associates of their colleagues, so they fear the completion of the project will interrupt their businesses'. Wayne Duvenage, CEO of the non-profit civil rights group, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, said it was another example of a combination of gross maladministration, stemming from a possible combination of poor leadership, lack of oversight and high probability of corruption. Example of gross maladministration, lack of oversight and corruption Duvenage said the only reason the project did not reach finality is that someone, or persons, was making a lot of money out of an ongoing and overpriced project. 'I don't think for one minute that this is an innocent delay. ALSO READ: Armed men rob Mbombela filling station, flee on foot 'If there is no corruption involved, then it is gross incompetence and lack of leadership oversight, in which case someone should be fired. 'But that won't happen, because there is a high possibility of connected cadres and cronies eating from this healthy flow of money. 'Unfortunately for you and I and every [tax-paying] citizen, just as this has happened in many similar incidents in the past, we will bear the brunt of this loss and the likelihood of anyone being held accountable is extremely slim.' 'This is outrageous' – Godi Former MP Themba Godi said: 'This is outrageous. 'Budgets cannot be allocated yearly to the same project and yet there is no completion. ALSO READ: Mpumalanga education opens housing allowance fraud case against two officials 'The departments submit annual procurement plans to the National Treasury. Surely there should be mechanisms to account for and confirm expenditure on previous projects? 'If money is spent but the projects are not complete, clearly the money has been misappropriated. 'The money has been stolen. Money stolen 'A simple forensic check would reveal the corruption of the tender holder and the officials who made the payments.' The DA in the province has called on the government to immediately act against the construction mafia, which has crippled the construction industry and delayed infrastructure projects. NOW READ: David Mabuza's funeral date confirmed as Mokonyane dismisses ANC criticism claims
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Sanral faces scrutiny over tender award during contractor suspension
Roads agency defends R1.57bn contract despite one joint venture partner's CIDB registration being inactive at the time of award. Two R1.5bn contracts awarded to same JV a day apart – both 'should be suspended' says Outa. Picture: Moneyweb The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has allowed a Chinese joint venture (JV) to continue executing a R1.56 billion Eastern Cape road contract despite the registration of one of the JV partners to enable it to do public work being suspended at the time the tender award was made. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) registration of Base Major Construction (Pty) Ltd – part of the Base Major-China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) JV – was suspended on 24 November 2024 and lifted on 9 January 2025. ALSO READ: Sanral taking its time to investigate R1.57bn tender award Two R1.57bn contracts, one legal challenge A contract valued at R1.57 billion for the upgrade of the R61 from All Saints to Baziya was awarded to the JV on 28 November 2024, according to Sanral's website. A day earlier – on 27 November 2024 – a contract worth R1.57 billion was awarded by Sanral to the same JV for the improvement of a section of the N1 from Masekwaspoort in Limpopo. However, following a legal challenge to the Masekwaspoort award by Hillary Construction – the second lowest bidder – Sanral agreed to suspend this contract award pending the completion of an investigation by the roads agency. This agreement was made an order of court on 14 February 2025, but Sanral has not yet completed the investigation. Hillary Construction launched an urgent high court application to interdict Sanral from allowing the JV to implement and execute the Masekwaspoort contract pending the finalisation of Part B of its application to review and set aside the contract award to the JV. It indicated it was seeking to set aside the award because Base Major's CIDB registration was suspended at the time the tender award was made. ALSO READ: Sanral suspends R1.57bn contract award pending an investigation Bidders can't become compliant 'later' Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) CEO Wayne Duvenage said on Tuesday that at the very least, both tender awards should have been subject to the same process. If the law is that at the time of awarding the tenders, the successful bidder has to be compliant 'you can't say they became compliant later and it stands'. 'Both of the tender awards should be suspended and if Sanral wants to start again, they can, otherwise they have to go to the second best bidder.' Sanral said on Friday it awarded the R61 tender to the Base Major Construction-CSCEC JV after undertaking its internal procurement processes. It said there is no legal challenge to the awarding of the R61 tender and work is progressing as per norm. However, in its response to Moneyweb's query, Sanral skirted around the issue of whether it is legal to award a tender to a contractor whose CIDB registration was not active at the time the award was made. Sanral said bids for the tender were evaluated by the Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) in February 2024. 'At this stage, the legal obligation to ascertain Base Major Construction's CIDB status arose. … [its] status with CIDB at that time was active and, after confirming this to be the case as part of the procurement process as legally required at evaluation stage, Sanral proceeded with the evaluation,' it said, adding that the responsive bids for the tender were adjudicated by the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) on 7 November 2024. ALSO READ: Sanral: Concerns around multi-billion-rand contract awarded to highest bidder 'On this day, the BAC made a decision regarding the awarding of the tender to the JV. 'Base Major Construction's status with the CIDB was active at that time,' it said. 'In light of the relevant and applicable legal prescripts, such as the CIDB Act, Standards and Regulations relating to CIDB registration, the evaluation of the R61 tender to the JV was permissible, as was the award, and the procurement processes followed by Sanral were above board. 'Currently, Base Major Construction's status with the CIDB is active, and there is no impediment to the JV undertaking the construction work arising from the R61 tender. 'There is no reason for Sanral to suspend the R61 contract pending an investigation and, likewise, no need has arisen for Sanral to investigate the matter on account of an irregularity, of which there is none, and Sanral sees no reason to cancel, re-advertise and re-award the R61 tender,' it said. Unik JV and WBHO were the other bidders for the R61 contract but neither challenged the award. ALSO READ: Sanral faces scrutiny over board changes and possible tender award delays Tenders 'not linked' – Sanral Sanral stressed that the R61 and Maskwaspoort tenders are not linked. It said the tenders were advertised separately, with different scopes of work, and were evaluated and adjudicated independently. Sanral stated in its answering affidavit to Hillary Construction's urgent application regarding the Masekwaspoort tender that its board 'does not intend to take time to investigate the matter.' The court disagreed, and it is now almost 21 weeks since the agreement between Sanral and Hillary Construction was made an order of court. Sanral on Friday repeated what it had previously told Moneyweb about the time it was taking to complete the investigation. 'An investigation of this nature cannot, in the circumstances, be conducted overnight or rushed. This would not be in the interests of the litigating parties, being Sanral, the court and the public. There has been no delay in completing the investigation. All the relevant documents, as well as facts, are under consideration, and all relevant parties at Sanral are being consulted,' it said. 'The investigation will be completed timeously, after undergoing all the necessary processes, and Sanral will comply with the court order.' ALSO READ: Sanral provided misleading information about its 'R53bn in tender awards' Hidden agenda? Outa's Duvenage said 'clearly there is an agenda when that [delays] happens'. 'They are really giving the public and journalists a runaround. They know what is wrong. They are not forging ahead with this investigation and speeding up the process. 'Everything is laborious because it just allows a continuation of this maladministration,' he said. 'Sanral is not working in the best interests of this country, which is an indictment on the board. The Sanral board should step down.' This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
Eyewitness News
02-07-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
From arrest to conviction? OUTA hopeful Brian Molefe et all will face justice
Sara-Jayne Makwala King 1 July 2025 | 6:46 Transnet Brian Molefe Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit Former Transnet executives (from left to right), Anoj Singh, Brian Molefe, Siyabonga Gama and Thamsanqa Jiyane appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on 30 June 2025 on corruption, fraud and money laundering charges. Picture: Alpha Ramushwana/EWN John Maytham (in for CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit) speaks to Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) CEO Wayne Duvenage about the arrest of Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh, Thamsanqa Jiyane and Siyabonga Gama. Listen below: From arrest to conviction? Former Transnet CEOs Brian Molefe and Siyabonga Gama have been released on R50,000 bail after appearing in court on Monday on charges of fraud and corruption. They appeared alongside fellow accused Anoj Singh and Thamsanqa Jiyane in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court on charges stemming from their time at the state-owned entity. The arrests were executed by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) and relate to a dodgy 2015 tender for hundreds of locomotives. But will this be the case that finally sees public officials brought to justice for corruption? Duvenage is hopeful. "The evidence here is quite strong, and we don't believe, after the few hiccups they've had, that they would be going down this road on a flimsy or weak case." - Wayne Duvenage, CEO - Outa "This will have legs, and we are confident that justice will be served." - Wayne Duvenage, CEO - Outa The commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture recommended that Molefe, Gama and Singh be investigated for allegedly diverting state funds to the controversial Gupta family. It's understood that a contract to supply the locomotives to Transnet was originally awarded to another company, but this was later cancelled and given to Trillian Capital, which is linked to the Guptas. While the former Transnet execs are claiming their innocence, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) insists there is substantial evidence linking them to the crimes. "The NPA has dropped the ball, due to infiltration, in the past." - Wayne Duvenage, CEO - Outa "There are some concerns, but in this case, the prosecutors have done their homework." - Wayne Duvenage, CEO - Outa Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.
IOL News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Watchdogs say corruption, cadre deployment worse under GNU
One year after the formation of South Africa's Government of National Unity, civil society watchdogs say corruption is not only ongoing but worse in some departments. Image: IOL Graphics Talk is cheap, and the GNU is proving it. Civil society watchdog, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and Accountability Now warns that corruption has not just continued under the coalition government, in some departments, it's getting even worse. The GNU, formed after the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority in the May 2024 general elections, has come under fire for continuing many of the same practices that plagued previous administrations. The GNU was established after the ANC entered into a coalition with its long-time rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and several smaller parties. While the arrangement was praised as a new chapter in South African politics, tensions over corruption cases, policy implementation, governance, and ethics have plagued the coalition from the start. Despite pledges to curb corruption, cadre deployment, and nepotism, these issues have persisted. Others argue that they have even worsened. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Speaking to IOL News, Wayne Duvenage, CEO of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), said while there have been signs of improvement in governance, particularly in departments led by the DA - corruption remains rampant. 'In fact, it's worse because the networks that exist within many of the government departments, especially in higher education and transport, are still plundering away. That I can assure you,' Duvenage said. He said that these networks were established during the fifth and sixth ANC administrations and continue to exert influence. Among the most notable scandals under the GNU are allegations involving senior ANC members: Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, who reportedly took a R575,600 loan from the now-collapsed VBS Mutual Bank to buy a Sandton coffee shop while serving as the mayor of Polokwane. Appearing before the Justice Portfolio Committee in Parliament last year, Simelane denied any wrong-doing regarding the controversial VBS scandal and a loan she had taken to buy a coffee shop. President Cyril Ramaphosa has since removed Simelane as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development following corruption allegations and moved her to Human Settlements. Mmamoloko Kubayi, who was the Minister of Human Settlements was appointed to the portfolio previously held by Simelane. She has also been linked to inflated billing with an Eskom contractor, claims she denies. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who has been under investigation by the Hawks for R2.5 million in alleged tender fraud during her tenure at Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality. ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has previously defended Ntshavheni, saying that she has to respond to the allegations. IOL News previously reported that speaking at a media briefing three months ago, Mbalula said the party would not be drawn into commenting on the matter suffice to say that the ANC will respond on "something tangible". Accusing the DPCI or Hawks of trying to ruin Ntshavheni's image, Mbalula said law enforcement must not seek to find people guilty through media. Ntshavheni has not said anything regarding the allegations. Despite mounting calls from political parties for Ramaphosa to take action against the two, no action has yet been taken against either minister. Recently, the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) has faced public backlash following controversial board appointments by Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, including figures with strong ANC ties, including Gwede Mantashe's son, Buyambo. The appointments were later withdrawn. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has also been embroiled in corruption allegations. The previous board was dissolved, and the institution placed under administration. A new board has since been appointed, with a mandate to clean up operations. Duvenage acknowledged that the GNU has led to more civil society engagement and less unilateral decision-making than in previous administrations. He pointed to the rejection of a proposed 2% VAT increase as a sign of healthy political contestation. 'It's been going for a year, and it has had its ups and downs, but it has held its ground,' he said. 'The fact that they couldn't steamroll the budget through Parliament is a positive sign.' He added that despite ideological differences, the ANC and DA have managed to hold the coalition together. 'So far, actually, so good,' he added. However, Duvenage admitted that true accountability remains elusive. 'There's a long way to go.' Meanwhile, accountability advocate Paul Hoffman of Accountability Now emphasised the structural weaknesses in prosecuting corruption. 'The Zondo Commission identified more than 1,000 individuals involved in corruption. But the Criminal Justice Administration has done little,' Hoffman said. He criticised the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), established to tackle high-level graft, calling it ineffective. Hoffman argued that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is not independent enough to deal with serious corruption, as it operates under the control of the Department of Justice. 'The Constitutional Court has said corruption should be handled by a body outside executive control,' Hoffman told IOL News. 'The NPA is not that body.' The DA has previously introduced two bills in Parliament calling for a new Chapter 9 anti-corruption commission, a move Hoffman believes could be transformative, if passed. 'It will need ANC support to pass, requiring a two-thirds majority. Until that happens, the culture of impunity will continue,' he said. The DA has previously put forward two private member's bills to fight corruption and cybercrime. One calls for a new Chapter 9 Anti-Corruption Commission to tackle serious graft and organized crime, while the other proposes a Cyber Commission to deal with digital threats. He added that effective governance under the GNU depends heavily on whether structural reforms are enacted. 'The GNU has improved parliamentary accountability in some ways, like with the budget process. But that's not enough.' Hoffman also tied corruption to South Africa's broader socio-economic crises, including high unemployment, inequality, crime, and poor infrastructure. 'You can't grow the economy while investors are afraid of losing their money to corruption,' he said. 'Addressing corruption is the number one priority.' According to both Duvenage and Hoffman, without institutional reform and political will, South Africa's long-standing issues will remain unresolved. This comes as the GNU enters its second year, the coalition faces mounting pressure to act decisively. IOL Politics
The Citizen
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Salga looking for ideas to help municipalities despite solution already offered
Outa have offering a free service delivery reporting app to municipalities for three years, but only one metro accepted. The largest municipalities across South Africa are on the hunt for new ideas to solve service delivery challenges. An Intercity Innovation Challenge was launched last week with two core themes in mind — township tech transformation and intelligent service delivery. Spearheaded by the South African Local Government Association (Salga), assistance with the project will be provided by business incubator specialists and tertiary institutions. Tech solutions for municipalities The search for ideas will focus on the Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Cape Town, Buffalo City, Mangaung, eThekwini and Nelson Mandela Bay municipalities. The initiative plans to pair enhanced service delivery and digital technologies with the values and goals of the G20, National Development Plan 2030 and Integrated Urban Development Framework. 'This national initiative aims to chiefly surface community-powered, tech-enabled solutions that promote inclusive development and foster innovation, improve public service delivery and management decision-making,' stated Salga. The Innovation Hub, Innovate Durban and Wits University's Tshimologong Precinct will be judging the ideas based on challenge-specific criteria. The innovation challenge is a spin-off of a similar project that has been running in Johannesburg for several years. Last October, the City of Johannesburg offered R1 million for the best way to fix the city, but no winners have been made public to date. Two specific challenges The township tech transformation challenge will be a call for solutions to infrastructure, unemployment and limited digital access in informal settlements. Submissions must be innovative, original, feasible, scalable and demonstrate the potential for social impact through clear presentation. Submissions for the intelligent service delivery challenge must meet the same criteria but must address 'reactive, inefficient, or disconnected' service delivery. 'Intelligent service delivery means using real-time data, predictive maintenance, user feedback, and automation to provide services more efficiently, transparently, and sustainably,' stated Salga. Winning ideas will receive funding and early-stage developmental support, which will include technical and business mentorship. Existing Outa solution Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) CEO Wayne Duvenage considered the Salga initiative a 'good idea', as he believes the body was mandated to assist local government interests. 'As it is, many municipalities outsource their services to external consultants, due to their incompetence on matters such as finance, engineering, road maintenance, etc,' Duvenage told The Citizen. However, Duvenage explained that Outa had been offering a free service delivery reporting app to Salga and the same metros for the past three years. 'This was a live, geolocation incident reporting tool which enables residents to report potholes, traffic light malfunctions, water leaks, sewage leaks, signage issues, street lights, etc,' he said. He added that this data would be fed directly into the municipality's enterprise resource planning systems, but that only 10 small municipalities and the City of Cape Town had taken up the free offer. 'They just didn't want to take it up. I think it may also have something to do with civil society owning the process instead of themselves,' suggested Duvenage. 'The app would have allowed us as civil society to benchmark cities with the best levels of repair times, and we believe the poorly managed cities did not want that, so they simply didn't respond,' he added. Intellectual property retained The window for idea submissions will be open between 13 June and 15 August, with an announcement on winning ideas scheduled for November. Participants retain ownership of their intellectual property, including current government employees whose employment contracts take precedence over the project terms and conditions. '[We aim] to unlock the under-leveraged innovation ecosystem by supporting low-cost, high-impact solutions that use technology to improve quality of life, generate income, or expand access to essential services,' stated Salga. Despite the snub, the Outa CEO hoped the innovation initiative would be fruitful and provide results for municipalities. 'Hopefully, Salga's Intercity Innovation Challenge will be able to introduce their own reporting tool or solution in this regard,' Duvenage concluded. NOW READ: JRA allocated just 1% of amount needed to fix Johannesburg's roads
