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I am extremely disappointed by the response from the MEC for Finance, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko regarding the tender default registry. Earlier this year the Democratic Alliance, (DA) learnt through media reports that there are currently no businesses listed on this registry.

According to MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko it is the responsibility of the Accounting Officers or authorities to report directly to National Treasury the restriction of a supplier where any penalty is being imposed on a supplier in line with Instruction Note 3 of 2016/17.

National Treasury is then required to load these details onto the Database of Prohibited Suppliers after ensuring that the Accounting Officers/Authority’s has complied with the Supply Chain Legal Framework.

It is clear that the MEC is now shifting the blame to Accounting Officers as the reason as to why there are no suppliers from Gauteng listed on this database.

Further to this when the MEC was asked to list the companies that may have been blacklisted by government for receiving tenders irregularly, the MEC then referred us to each department for this list.

In addition, the MEC claims that the Central Supplier Database (CSD) maintains the restriction of businesses and their directors/owners and such reflects on the business CSD report.

This answer clearly shows that the MEC and her department does not have such a list in place because if they had they would have been able to produce one without referring me to another database and having to ask each department and entity separately.

Given the recent PPE Tender that was awarded at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 which did not follow due process as well as the sanitization of schools later on 2020 where it became evident that due process was not followed as well, this blasé attitude is only encouraging further corruption within our provincial government.

The corrupt manner in which tenders are awarded in Gauteng predates the Covid-19 pandemic, which but only highlighted the fact that only those who are connected to officials and politicians in the ruling government are able to score lucrative contracts for their companies.

The only way in which this culture of corruption can be eradicated is if Provincial Treasury urgently compiles its own list of businesses who are blacklisted from ever doing business with government again, so that tenders are only awarded to companies who qualify.

As the official opposition, it is our duty to ensure that every rand and cent spent is done so in a manner that is beneficial to our taxpayers and that will ensure speedy and proper service delivery to our residents.

issuedby DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Finance and e-Government, Adriana Randall MPL