ActionSA blames DA for Tshwane tender scandal and supports Mayor Moya’s efforts to fix the mess

ActionSA has firmly placed the blame for Tshwane’s ongoing tender scandal on the Democratic Alliance (DA), accusing the former administration of creating the very problems now facing the city.

This comes after the issue of the 2019 tender awarded to businessman Edwin Sodi which was found to be unlawful and led to serious consequences for the city.

The party has also expressed its full support for Tshwane executive mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya as she deals with the fallout from the South African Local Bargaining Council (SALBC)’s controversial ruling.

The SALBC ruling ordered the reinstatement of officials involved in the tender and required the city to pay R2 million in compensation.

According to ActionSA, this situation arose because of the DA-led administration’s failure to follow proper procedures. The council found that the officials were not suspended during the investigation phase, as required, but only after the disciplinary hearing.

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont directly criticised the DA for its role in the scandal.

“This mess is entirely the fault of the DA’s administration under former mayor Cilliers Brink,” Beaumont said.

“They awarded an unlawful tender, delayed critical projects like addressing the water crisis in Hammanskraal, and then failed to handle the suspension process correctly. Now, they are trying to use this issue to score political points, despite being responsible for it in the first place.”

The unlawful tender not only caused delays in infrastructure projects but also cost the city significant financial resources.

Beaumont highlighted that Mayor Moya is left to clean up the problems created by her predecessors.

“Dr. Moya is now dealing with the financial problems, poor service delivery, and bad decisions left behind by the DA.

“Her decision to carefully study the ruling and seek legal advice is the right approach to protect the city from further losses and ensure that unfit officials do not return to their roles.”

ActionSA also took issue with the DA’s attempts to politicise the matter.

It’s ironic that the DA, now in opposition, is criticising the city’s handling of this issue when they created the problem in the first place,” Beaumont added.

Despite these challenges, Moya has been praised for her efforts to stabilise the city.

Since becoming mayor, her administration has worked to reduce Tshwane’s R7 billion debt to Eskom, resolve disputes with labour unions, and address service delivery issues like broken streetlights and potholes.

“Dr. Moya has already made progress in fixing the city’s problems. Her strong leadership, along with ActionSA’s support, focuses on what really matters to residents instead of the political games of a former mayor who is now embarrassed,” Beaumont concluded.

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