Fake quotations and inflated invoices were rife

The net is closing in on Mpumalanga officials who colluded with dodgy companies to steal millions under the guise of providing services during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

This follows instructions from Premier Mandla Ndlovu for the provincial executive council (exco) to act on a damning Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report within 90 days.

This was said by provincial government spokesperson George Mthethwa, in a post-exco statement this week. Ndlovu's exco, said Mthethwa, has now adopted the report and pledged to act against the officials and the head of department, Godfrey Ntombela, who was flagged for failing to enforce accountability as the accounting officer.

"The exco approved the report and expressed commitment to implement the recommendations, which include instituting disciplinary action against all implicated officials and the head of department," Mthethwa confirmed.

The SIU has also instituted litigation processes to recover nearly R4-million from companies implicated in the alleged corruption.