ActionSA is calling for a moratorium, saying ‘compromised entities cannot be allowed continued access to multi-million-rand tenders’. Picture: AdobeStock The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has called on Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy to launch an independent forensic investigation into tender awards by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) – or for parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to conduct an inquiry into the roads agency. This follows Sanral rejecting suggestions that the findings of its investigation into the R1.57 billion Masekwaspoort tender award warrant a probe intoallthe tenders it has awarded to the China State Construction and Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).
CSCEC, in a joint venture with Base Major, was awarded the Masekwaspoort tender. Sanral’s investigation into the tender award revealed that the tender process was marred by a host of irregularities that collectively undermined the lawfulness, rationality and fairness of the procurement process. This led to Sanral launching a high court application to review and set aside that award and obtain an order to start the tender afresh.
Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage said Sanral has a massive budget and there are too many concerning decisions that have been taken by it. CSCEC, which has requested that it be referred to as China State Construction (CSC), said it has chosen not to oppose the Sanral application in the interests of continued positive relations and to avoid lengthy litigation that might further delay the project. However, CSC said it will clarify its position on certain issues raised in the Sanral application “for the record”.
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The Base Major-CSCEC JV submitted six projects in its Masekwaspoort project tender to satisfy the requirement of demonstrating the satisfactory completion of projects of a specified value and scope. Sanral chair Themba Mhambi, in a sworn affidavit in support of the high court review application, said none of the projects relied on by CSCEC South Africa were completed by the South African entity itself and the experience cited instead pertained “to related but distinct entities being CSCEC Middle East and CSCEC China”.
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