The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo calls on the MEC for Provincial Treasury, Seaparo Sekoati, and the Limpopo Provincial Treasury to implement the DA’s motion that passed unanimously in the Limpopo legislature sitting to present Covid-19 expenditure reports to the provincial Treasury standing committee on a bi-weekly basis and to review all the Covid-19 funding used for tender contracts with concerns or non-related projects.
This follows media reports of allegations of corruption and irregularities in the awarding of tenders in the province as well as numerous reports, whistle-blower accounts and claims of impropriety, use of unreliable suppliers and the misuse of funds linked to Covid-19 tenders that the DA in the province has received over the last two to three months.
The Provincial Government Departments have been unwilling to disclose sufficient and specific details around Covid-19 related spending in Limpopo to date, and this displays a concerning lack of accountability. They need to be transparent and provide expenditure reports that outline amounts spent, details of items or services purchased, number of items, cost per unit and the details of the service provider.
The review should largely focus on non-Covid-19 related services, conflicts of interest with regard to individuals involved, irregular bidding and procurement processes, inflated prices, inferior workmanship, deviation in tender cost and incomplete services rendered. It should also focus on the spending of Departments, including but not limited to the Departments of Health, Education, Social Development and Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure that are largely involved and tasked with the province’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
MEC Sekoati and the Provincial Treasury must also ensure that all companies that were awarded tenders were registered on the Central Supplier Database prior to being appointed and that successful tender contract bidders adhere to Treasury instruction note 5 of 2020/21 that outlines the maximum prices institutions must use to procure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items at realistic market prices and to prescribe emergency procurement procedures as well as avoid the abuse of the supply chain management system.
The Provincial Treasury has a duty to ensure that they strengthen good governance, accountability and sound public resource management in the province for sustainable service delivery. They must ensure all tenders awarded were given to deserving bidders and that they are beyond reproach to ensure that the citizens of Limpopo receive the quality services that they deserve.
The DA remains committed to ensuring that there is transparency and integrity in the handling of finances that are meant to ensure that the province is well prepared to serve the people of Limpopo in its response to Covid-19.