R13m pit-toilet claims rejected

2006-01-18 16:39

Sizwe samaYende

Malelane - A municipal manager has accused his superiors of trumping up charges that implicate him in a dodgy R13m pit-toilet contract because he had exposed corrupt politicians.

The manager of Nkomazi municipality in Malelane, Mpumalanga, Simon Thani, and the council's technical services director, Henry Mashele, were suspended on Wednesday last week after recommendations in a preliminary audit report by Mpumalanga auditor-general Douglas Maphiri.

Maphiri found the two men did not follow proper procedures in the project, which intended to build 4 842 ventilated improved pit-toilets in 23 rural villages for R2 720 each.

The report also indicates that Thani could have enriched himself.

Thani said the suspension was a way of getting back at him.

"I have exposed some politicians and there are charges laid with the police.

"I think that some people aren't happy about that and they are trying to silence me," he said.

Some toilets partially built

Maphiri's report indicated that the company that was given the toilet contract was not on the tender shortlist, nor was it registered with the registrar of companies and it didn't have a VAT number. It had offered the VAT number of a butchery instead.

The report singled out Thani for allegedly having given the company an advance payment of R1.9m about two months before it was officially appointed to do the job.

He is also accused of paying a company in advance to do an audit of the toilets.

In the end, the company left some toilets partially built and didn't build others at all.

Accused of irregularities

Thani reportedly cancelled the contracts of two companies that were initially hired for the project, on baseless rumours that they had performed poorly on other projects.

The manager is also accused in the report of similar irregularities when hiring companies to identify indigent families, build water tanks and provide security.

Nkomazi mayor Selby Khumalo has said the council was implementing the A-G's recommendations.

- African Eye