Tender deal irregularities revealed

Preliminary investigations into multi-million rand contracts awarded under the former ANC City of Cape Town administration have revealed that several tender deals were pushed through. The Cape Times reports that senior officials created a closed loop of command enabling them to fast track tenders without council approval. Many of these tenders were allegedly awarded to family members or associates of high ranking officials. Evidence already collected by the DA-led multi-party government has exposed cases of tender documents being photocopied, removed or approved with no apparent regard for council policy. Ian Neilson, mayoral committee member for finance, called for an urgent overhaul of the procurement and supply chain management systems yesterday.