Cape roads official acquitted

2010-03-11 17:08

Johannesburg - Western Cape transport and public works head Thami Manyathi was acquitted of misconduct charges at a disciplinary inquiry, MEC Robin Carlisle said on Thursday.

"I have seen the findings. Mr Manyathi has been acquitted on all the charges," he said in a statement.

Manyathi was suspended in June last year pending the outcome of a probe into alleged tender irregularities.

Among the deals under scrutiny was a R91m transport contract, which was not put out for tender before being awarded to Games Transportation Systems Services.

"While I bear no personal animosity towards Mr Manyathi, I have great difficulty accepting the correctness of the findings, especially those related to the two most serious charges, objective needs assessment before procuring the services of Games Transportation Systems Services and (failure) to comply with the requirements for a valid bid in the procurement of the services."

Bona fide mistakes

Carlisle said the inquiry concluded that Manyathi had made certain bona fide mistakes that did not amount to misconduct.

"These purportedly bona fide mistakes have cost my department tens of millions of rands in expenditure on consultants and funds that would have been much better spent on improving our public transport infrastructure."

Had the correct and legally mandated procedures been followed in the procurement of consultants, the mistakes would not have occurred, Carlisle said.

"Accordingly, I do not accept that no culpability for those costly mistakes attaches to the head of the department."

Reviewing findings

Carlisle said he had instructed his legal team to possibly institute an application to review the findings of the inquiry.

"I think it important that formal standards be set and enforced for the levels of performance that the tax-paying public may reasonably expect from heads of government departments.

"If that is not done, other officials cannot be expected to do their work meticulously and efficiently. I am simply not prepared to accept such a scenario," said the MEC.

The statement said although Manyathi's term of employment expired on April 30 this year, he was not required to serve out the remainder of his term, and was free to seek other employment with immediate effect.

"I am determined to eradicate bad practices and inefficiencies from the department of transport and public works that characterised the term of office of my predecessors. This process is already well underway," said Carlisle.
 

- SAPA