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·      Steve Tshwete local municipality manager, Mandla Mnguni, defied a bid committee to appoint two companies belonging to his close friend ·      Mnguni has been staying in the service provider’s house ·      Whistleblower alleges that Mnguni benefited a farm and an airbus from service provider

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Sizwe sama Yende

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A manager of a former model Mpumalanga municipality is embroiled in a web of corrupt activities – some of which are so blatant such as staying in a house of a service provider.

The electricity contractor on whose house Steve Tshwete Local Municipality manager, Mandla Mnguni, is staying, is at the centre of a whistleblower’s complaint to the auditor-general and Mpumalanga Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Speedy Mashilo, about tender corruption.

Mnguni has been accused of throwing his weight around to pave the way for the contractor to be in a better position to benefit electrification projects valued at R1 billion despite evidence that he bid for one tender using his two companies.

According to documents that The People’s Eye has seen, Mnguni ignored a bid adjudication committee recommendation that warned him about collusion and sought two legal opinions to review the committee’s decision.

The manager went ahead and appointed Maqhoba Trading Enterprise and Mayivuthe to be on the panel of electric contractors on August 8 2023 for the financial years 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26.

The two companies are owned by his associate, Joel Mahlangu. Mnguni has been staying in Mahlangu’s house at an upmarket suburb in Aerorand Middelburg since he separated from his wife last year after she stormed into Steve Tshwete municipal offices with a knife in hand to threaten an employee Mnguni allegedly had an extra-marital affair with.

Mnguni defied the legal opinions, which advised him to implement the Bid Adjudication Committee’s recommendation, and appointed the two companies.

In correspondence to the AG and Mashilo, the whistleblower said: “I am of the view that the Municipal Manager had no obligation to seek such legal opinion over possible colluding bidders and his actions undoubtedly reflect personal interest.”

One of the legal opinions said that Mnguni must stick to supply chain management processes and the Municipal Finance Management Act.

“The Accounting officer also need to consider the provisions [MFMA and SCM policy] which read as follows: No tender may be awarded to a bidder or any of its directors [that] has committed a corrupt or fraudulent act.”

Mnguni and Mahlangu did not respond to written questions sent to them on 11 July and follow-up question sent on July 15. Steve Tshwete spokesperson, Lerato Kgomo, confirmed receiving the questions but did not respond.

The relationship between Mnguni and Mahlangu appears to be deeper.

Another whistleblower’s complaint alleged that Mahlangu bought Mnguni a farm in Stoffberg and an airbus for his ambulance company, MpumaMed – all worth about R12 million.

It is unclear if Mnguni declared his relationship with Mahlangu. Both did not answer these questions.

The manager has also allegedly tried to twist the councillors’ arms to sell a portion of prime business land worth about R100 million for only R30 million to Mahlangu.

Steve Tshwete has been the ANC’s model municipality for many years, priding itself on clean governance and service delivery. It is now on a downward spiral and voters have shown this in the last local government elections.

The ANC got 36% of the vote in 2021 following the emergence of a small party, the Middelburg and Hendrina Residents Front (MHRF).

The ANC managed to have its own may because the DA and the EFF could not work together to form a coalition government.