MEDIA STATEMENT
Public Interest SA Calls for Accountability Amid Tshwane's Failure to Blacklist Edwin Sodi's Companies
Johannesburg, Friday, 20 September 2024 - Public Interest SA expresses deep concern over the City of Tshwane’s repeated failure to comply with statutory requirements to blacklist companies that violate procurement rules. The inability to properly submit the necessary documentation to the National Treasury has not only delayed justice but also enabled tenderpreneurs such as Edwin Sodi to continue engaging in tender malpractice, to the detriment of South African taxpayers.
The recent Sowetan article, titled "Tshwane Bungles Request to Have Sodi Blacklisted", highlights the city's failure to provide essential information, such as company addresses and directors’ ID numbers, in its initial request to restrict Sodi’s companies—NJR Projects, Blackhead Consulting, and their partner CMS Water Engineering—from doing business with the city. This administrative oversight by Tshwane officials is unacceptable, especially considering the gravity of the failed R292 million Rooiwaal wastewater treatment project, which contributed to a cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, claiming more than 20 lives in 2023.
Public Interest SA takes a dim view of mayor Cilliers Brink’s lack of diligence in ensuring his team's proper submission of critical documents to the National Treasury’s Restricted Supplier Database. Despite assurances from both the mayor and Finance MMC Jacqui Uys that the city is rectifying the errors and restarting the process, this incident raises serious questions about the city's governance.
“We implore mayor Brink to take decisive action and ensure that such egregious oversight does not recur. It is deeply troubling when public officials fail to comply with Treasury regulations, allowing individuals and companies to escape accountability. The people of Tshwane, and indeed South Africa, deserve better,” said Tebogo Khaas, chairperson of Public Interest SA.
The delays in blacklisting Sodi’s companies have not only exposed systemic weaknesses in the city’s governance but have also prolonged the public’s suffering. The city’s failure to hold these companies accountable in a timely manner undermines the fight against corruption and further erodes trust in public institutions.
Public Interest SA urges mayor Brink to demonstrate stronger leadership in this matter and ensure that the officials responsible for these delays face appropriate disciplinary measures. Additionally, we call on the City of Tshwane to expedite the blacklisting process to prevent any further harm to the integrity of public procurement in South Africa.
End of Statement
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Image: Lubabalo Lesole / Sowetan
For media inquiries, please contact:
Bagaetsho Oteng
010 005 5884 | bagaetsho@publicinterest.org.za
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