DA’s Bhanga wants Covid-19 service providers probed for price gouging

The DA in the Eastern Cape has called for Covid-19 service providers to be investigated for allegedly inflating the price of personal protective equipment.

DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga on Tuesday conducted an oversight inspection at the municipal supply chain management offices to investigate how business was conducted, and if the correct supply chain management processes were being followed when procuring personal protective equipment (PPE). 

In a statement, Bhanga said the DA was in possession of a recent report indicating how service providers allegedly inflated their prices for PPE to correlate with the prices charged by other service providers.

Bhanga said according to the PPE price list provided by National Treasury, as of April 28, type 1 masks should be bought at no more than R511 per box of 50, or R10,22 per mask inclusive of VAT.

He said the inflation of unit prices for the delivery of 330ml bottles of hand sanitiser also indicated possible collusion to loot funds made available for the battle against the coronavirus.

Bhanga said the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was now investigating PPE corruption in the city after the DA wrote to the SIU and met investigators.

“The DA warned the government that the Eastern Cape was becoming the epicentre of Covid-19 corruption.

“We will not rest until public funds are spent with complete transparency and accountability and value for money is achieved, and all those involved in criminal activities are arrested and put behind bars,” Bhanga said.

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