The City of Tshwane has decided to cancel a recent tender process for water tanker supply to informal settlements. This decision was made pre-emptively to forestall potential corruption, following the detection of irregularities in the procurement process.
Discovery of irregularities in the water tanker tender
Cllr Jacqui Uys, MMC for Finance, said that the decision to cancel the tender was made by the discovery of leaked valuation documentation and concerns over compromised tender specifications.
“There was a leak of valuation documentation and a possible compromise in the tender specifications,” stated Cllr Uys.
The City’s newly implemented corruption-detection mechanisms flagged these issues, prompting swift action from municipal authorities to ensure adherence to ethical standards in procurement.
Commitment to Ethical Standards
“This decision reflects the City’s commitment to having the highest standards of accountability, integrity and fairness in operations,” said Cllr Uys.
The decision reflects the City’s determination to maintain the highest standards of leadership and to prevent any misuse of public resources.
Impact and future steps
While the water tanker tender cancellation will not disrupt the current supply of water tankers to informal settlements, it highlights the challenges faced in making sure basic services reach all residents.
“It does highlight the harsh reality that water, even as a basic human right, is used by some to enrich themselves.” said Cllr Uys.
Furthermore, looking forward, the city plans to revise the tender specifications and readvertise the opportunity. Additionally, there are plans to allocate 30% of the funds made for water tanker provision in the 2024/25 financial year towards sustainable, long-term solutions for water supply in informal settlements.
In addition, this move highlights the City’s commitment to dealing with the root causes of water outages and improving living conditions for vulnerable communities.
Source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/tshwane-cancels-water-tanker-tender-over-corruption-concerns/
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