GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - According to FF+ Councillor Adriaan van Heerden and DA Councillors Eldrige Ruiters and Ewald Loock, council has not received any feedback about the Special Investigating Unit's (SIU) assessment of allegations of maladministration and corruption against the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality.
The assessment follows after a whistle-blower reported that certain municipal officials colluded with service providers in the process of awarding or executing eight different tenders.
"Nothing has come of it yet and in my opinion, everything is far too quiet," says Van Heerden.
Loock confirmed, however, that the municipality did respond to the SIU's request for financial documentation relating to the respective tenders and explained that the SIU now has to assess the documentation to establish whether there is, in fact, enough evidence to merit further investigation.
Loock said he would ask about the SIU's progress with the assessment at the upcoming Executive Council (ExCo) meeting.
No contact
A concern is that residents who claim to have information say they are unable to reach the Special Investigating Unit, despite being encouraged in the municipal notice about the assessment to report alleged irregularities and provide supporting evidence.
This notice was published on the municipality's Facebook page on 2 October. "From 14 October I have been trying to contact the SIU," says a woman who wants to share information. "I asked the mayor's secretary for the correct contact details and she said she would get back to me.
"She then told me that she had asked a municipal official to contact me, but he didn't. I phoned the SIU numbers I found on Google and was told a reference number is needed and that they would get back to me. I am still waiting."
According to her other residents with information have also tried to contact the SIU, but to no avail.
A request for comment was submitted to the municipality, but at the time of going to print no response was received.
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