Mpuma wants its R3.6m back
03/07/2006 21:08  - (SA)  

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Nelspruit - It has not yet been decided how R3.6m will be reclaimed from former director-general advocate Stanley Soko who irregularly paid a marketing and public relations company.

The legislature's select committee on public accounts (Scopa) last week recommended that Soko should repay the R3 656 586, which was paid to Rainbow Kwanda in 2003 before the company had done any work.

Provincial government spokesperson Lebona Mosia said on Monday the government had not decided yet how to reclaim the money, as it was still waiting for a copy of the Scopa report.

Soko's contract with the government expired in September last year, and Premier Thabang Makwetla decided not to renew it.

Rainbow Kwanda was given a R15m contract to build a positive image of the province, which was dented under former premier Ndaweni Mahlangu.

Makwetla cancelled the contract last year after the taxpayer had already paid a whooping R12.3m.

Scopa has found that Soko and Mahlangu ignored their own legal advisers when they entered into the contract.

Linked to other corruption

It has also emerged that the company was paid a further R533 600.64 as VAT, but the invoices had the wrong VAT numbers. Junior officials with no authority to make payments did so, Scopa has established.

Soko also has been linked to other corruption regarding the Rainbow Kwanda contract.

Evidence given in the trial against former national prosecuting authority (NPA) deputy director Cornwell Tshavhungwa, implicates Soko in trying to solicit a R1m bribe from Rainbow Kwanda.

Tshavhungwa is on trial in Pretoria High Court on charges of accepting a bribe to stop investigating irregularities in the allocation of the contract.

Editor resigned

Soko has dismissed the incriminating evidence and accused the company of being "wounded tigers" because the government cancelled their contract.

Former City Press editor Vusi Mona resigned when it transpired that he had shares in Rainbow Kwanda while working for the newspaper.

Meanwhile, Mpumalanga is looking for another company to undertake the job - for R40m - of branding and marketing the province.

The advertisements have already been published.

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