Inquiry into fraud in awarding water tenders

In a bid to address allegations of fraud, corruption and irregularities in the awarding of tenders, the Department of Water and Sanitation has appointed a task team which will evaluate the department’s procurement processes and all tenders awarded across the country since June 2014. The task team – to be led by Advocate Terry Motau SC – was announced by Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane in Pretoria last week. She warned that any officials who were caught flouting the law would be reported to law enforcement. The establishment of the task team comes amid an ongoing battle by specialist water engineering firm Spec (Surface Preparations Equipment and Coatings) which launched litigation last month against the department regarding what it asserts is an unfulfilled 2011 tender worth about R250million. The tender was for the maintenance of infrastructure at dams. Spec, which has conducted other business with the department since 2011, also alleged that the department had more recently failed to undertake critical maintenance at some supply dams, which could potentially result in a water crisis in the Eastern Cape.