By Celani Sikhakhane
- eThekwini spent R3.6-million on fan parks for the Nedbank Cup final match earlier this month.
- ActionSA says the city is using emergency rules to give deals to whoever they want.
The City of eThekwini has been criticised for spending R3.6-million on fan parks for the Nedbank Cup final.
The match at Moses Mabhida Stadium lasted just 90 minutes. But the city still paid millions to set up viewing areas at Albert Park and the Durban beachfront.
ActionSA leader Zwakele Mncwango said this is exactly what they feared.
“We knew the city would use this chance to waste public money. That’s why we asked them how much they planned to spend and what process they would follow,” he said.
Instead of going through normal tender steps, the city used Section 36, a rule that lets them skip open bidding during emergencies.
Mncwango said this rule is being misused.
“The city is picking companies without any fair process. Yes, Section 36 is legal, but they’re using it to cut corners,” he said.
In a letter to ActionSA, the city said there was an emergency, so they used Section 36. But they refused to say which company got the job to provide the big screens.
This is not the first time the city has been slammed for using this rule.
Last year, the Democratic Alliance found that the city gave out 20 waste collection tenders worth R144.8-million using Section 36, all in just four months.
At least 13 companies got the tenders. Some were paid between R20-million and R31-million each. One company got three tenders worth over R25-million.
That scandal led to an investigation by Zodwa Manase and Associates. It found that top city officials and politicians from the African National Congress and National Freedom Party were involved.
Pictured above: The City of eThekwini is under fire for using the controversial section 36 to avoid the tender process on the Nedbank Cup final that was won by the Kaizer Chiefs.
Image source: @KaizerChiefs
