English soundbite by Cllr Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the High Court ruling setting aside Johannesburg Water’s water tanker tender and the declaration that the tender is invalid. While Johannesburg Water has filed an appeal, meaning the contract will continue for now, the judgment confirms serious concerns about how this tender was awarded.
This multi-million rand tanker contract was concluded despite clear procedural irregularities. At a time when residents are battling ongoing water outages, public funds must be managed lawfully, transparently and in the best interest of Johannesburg’s residents.
Earlier this month, 9 people were arrested in the Eastern Cape, over their involvement in a R75 million water tanker tender. This makes us hopeful, as action is being taken against criminal elements benefitting from water crises.
The DA previously wrote to National Treasury, the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), and the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) requesting urgent investigation into this specific tender process.
We will now formally approach the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate potential violations of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA) by officials involved in the award of this tender.
Johannesburg residents deserve clean governance and accountability. The DA will not allow a water crisis to be exploited through irregular contracting.
Source: https://dagauteng.org.za/2026/02/da-escalates-invalid-johannesburg-water-tanker-tender-to-siu
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