DA refutes claims by ActionSA against Tshwane Mayor over R26 bln bid

Democratic Alliance Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga has refuted claims that its Mayor in the City of Tshwane Randall Williams violated procurement procedures in a R26 billion unsolicited bid.

Msimanga says they are disappointed that is coalition partner, ActionSA voted against a report that will help make the City independent of Eskom and load shedding.

He adds that if they had an issue, they should’ve raised that issue during the internal caucuses, which they agreed with in the internal caucus.

“But because we are seeing now a trend where it looks like they are looking for a way to come out of the coalition agreement, they are doing what they are doing now. It is about Herman Mashaba’s ego, they’ve done this in Johannesburg before, where they threaten to move out if Mpho Phalatsi didn’t change something that they initially all agreed on and this is something we are seeing as a trend,” explains Msimanga.

Violation of coalition arrangement  

However, ActionSA says lack of proper procurement procedure and violation of a coalition arrangement is behind its decision to oppose a report by its coalition partner in Tshwane, the DA.

The party was responding to the DA’s accusation that its decision is informed by its leader Herman Mashaba’s ego.

The report is on an unsolicited bid amounting to R26 billion from an energy service provider to refurbish, finance, operate and maintain both the Pretoria West and Rooiwal Power Stations. Opposition parties in the city objected to the report arguing that the process should be open to other companies.

ActionSA’s Gauteng chairperson, Bongani Baloyi says the DA is using pedestrian politics adding that DA’s tactics to reduce such a significant issue of potential corruption, to an ego of a political party leader is baseless and quite adventurism.

Baloyi adds, “They must respond why number 1 the mayor has issued an instruction to the staff in the City, where there’s a recording to this effect, where his chief of staff is also involved, issuing instructions about a procurement process and which service provider must be followed.”