KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka and the MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane are under scrutiny over claims of irregularities, political interference and tender rigging within their departments.
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Thamsanqa Ntuli has written to them demanding comprehensive reports detailing relevant facts following claims of corruption against them.
Hlomuka and Simelane are alleged to have manipulated tender bidding processes to benefit their allies.
The Education Department in KZN says it is not alarmed by the circulating claims about the alleged rigging of the National School Nutrition Programme.
Hlomuka is alleged to have manipulated the bidding process of the R2.9 billion nutrition programme with an aim to benefit a company he’s affiliated with.
Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi says Hlomuka has replied back to Premier Ntuli on these claims.
He says the department is transparent and has nothing to hide.
” We can confirm that the MEC has received the letter from the premier as the premier had promised that he was going to write to the MEDC requesting him to give an explanation as to the allegations regarding the school nutrition program tender. The MEC has dealt with that letter accordingly. We are appealing to the public to give both the premier and the MEC the space to process the responses, so it is as the Department of Education we are not alarmed by the issues that are being raised.”
Mahlambi says the feeding programmes at schools have not been disturbed.
He further explains that the awarding process for the tender in question which is expected to kick-start in April next year has not been finalized.
“There was a stage of advertising, there was a stage of briefing. There was a stage of closing, there was a stage where we needed to advertise the attendance register, we did it. Now it is the stage where we have advertised publicly the intention to award so that we allow anyone who’s got issues to raise those issues. So, we have faith in the processes and the mechanism that the Treasury has put in place and dealing with such matters.”
Health MEC denies allegations
Simelane, meanwhile, has labelled the corruption claims against her as false and malicious. The claims suggests that she used her position to influence funding for a company linked to her family.
In a statement, Simelane explained that the company in question was established in 1996 by her parents in which she resigned from it in 2004.
Ntuli says he will only take necessary action depending on the outcomes of responses from the two MECs
“After receiving the appropriate information then we will consider any action. It’s not easy for now to suggest what action we will take because we are not quite certain of the information that we are going to receive but I must assure you that there is a need to investigate further on the processes followed during the nutrition tender.”
Premier Ntuli has called on the public to respect the process as he claims the matter is being addressed.
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