Grandi Theunissen FF Plus leader in Tshwane
By Grandi Theunissen
FF Plus leader in Tshwane
The recent remarks by the ANC’s Greater Tshwane Region regarding corruption occurring in the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) under the previous administration, of which the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) was part, are nothing more than a transparent attempt to divert attention away from the actual corruption crisis in the Tshwane Metro.
While the Madlanga Commission is currently hearing evidence of tender manipulation, the ANC’s Regional Secretary, George Matjila, is attempting to shift the focus to the previous administration.
The Freedom Front Plus welcomes the Madlanga Commission’s investigation into irregular security tenders amounting to approximately R2,9 billion.
This includes the controversial role of Triotic Protection Services, a company previously linked to the current Deputy Mayor, Eugene Modise.
According to the evidence, bid evaluation committees recommended the cancellation of this specific tender on two occasions due to serious irregularities, yet the process continued.
The Freedom Front Plus challenges the ANC leadership to respond to the following facts:
Integrity and security clearances within the TMPD:
During the previous administration, officials in the vetting unit were removed because they had failed their State Security Agency (SSA) clearances.
At the time, there were serious allegations that these officials had blackmailed colleagues to conceal criminal records.
The step to remove them was based on documented risks and was supported by the then TMPD leadership.
If the ANC claims these removals were unlawful, the Freedom Front Plus challenges Mr Matjila to produce valid SSA clearance certificates for the specific individuals in question.
The R2,9 billion Triotic tender:
Evidence presented to the Commission identifies Triotic Protection Services as a key beneficiary of the disputed tender.
Forensic investigations revealed that the Deputy Mayor, Eugene Modise, may not have fully or timeously declared or divested his interests in the company.
The Freedom Front Plus demands a comprehensive audit trail of any alleged sale of his shares, as well as transparent motivation for why this company continues to benefit from municipal contracts.
The “water tanker mafia” and infrastructure decay:
Under the current ActionSA/ANC-led coalition, expenditure on privately owned water tankers has skyrocketed to hundreds of millions of rand, while the Metro’s own infrastructure is left to deteriorate.
Evidence links Mr Matjila to enquiries about alleged payments to tanker companies lacking sufficient documentation.
The public has the right to know what role political figures play in deliberately keeping the Metro dependent on private water tankers at the expense of permanent repairs to the water network.
The Freedom Front Plus wishes to point out that its Mayoral Committee Member for Community Safety has a proven record of cracking down on corruption.
His tenure has been characterised by the dismissal of officials involved in extortion and an insistence on forensic reports to expose fraud within the TMPD.
The Madlanga Commission is not a political tool for “victimisation”, but a process necessary to lay bare corruption.
The Freedom Front Plus demands that the Commission be allowed to complete its work without political interference.
The party invites the ANC leadership to cooperate by disclosing all relevant documents, clearance certificates and transaction records to the Commission and the public.
Tshwane residents deserve a professional metro police force and a clean administration that does not protect compromised networks.
Tshwane Talks readers have been able to read stories in this publication for free for over two years now. We still want our readers to access our stories for free, but we are asking those among our readers who can afford it to contribute at least R30 a month to cover some of the costs of publishing this independent, non-aligned online newspaper which gives a voice to all sectors of society irrespective of race, colour, creed, religion, or political affiliation. You may make your contribution by depositing at least R30 a month into Tshwane Talks' bank account. Details are as follows:
Bank Details
Bank: Standard Bank
Account Number: 10225548834
Account Type: Cheque Account