Activists and Citizens Forum spokesperson, Dennis Bloem. Picture: Matthews Baloyi Independent Newspapers
ACTIVISTS and Citizens Forum is calling on the government to do away with the tender system.
The forum has indicated that the tender system breeds corruption and violent crimes with many people losing their lives due to the rampant corruption and greed embedded in the system.
Spokesperson for the forum, Dennis Bloem, said many people have lost their lives as a result of the tender system.
Bloem has indicated that the recent killing of a Rand Water executive, Teboho Joala and his bodyguard in Zakariyya Park last week, can be attributed to the tender system.
Joala and other officials including a City of Joburg Chief Whip, Sithembiso Zungu, were shot while conducting a back-to-school campaign in the area.
“Many people are killed because of the tender system of this government. If the government is serious about saving the lives of innocent, hard-working government officials, it must do away with the tender system.
“We strongly suspect that the latest victim of this evil corrupt tender system is the slain Rand Water Executive Teboho Joala, who was brutally shot by brazen criminals in broad daylight in front of a packed hall full of children,” Bloem said.
Bloem has accused the government of failing to clamp down on corruption and politically motivated killings of municipal officials.
“The government wants to close its eyes and ignore the reality of a water syndicate which is creating a man-made water crisis in most of the municipalities around the country.
“These criminals are working with officials inside municipalities and government to manipulate water tenders,” he said.
According to Bloem, politically motivated killings are not new as many others have died in the hands of contracted killers including whistle blowers such as Babita Deokaran and many others.
“These tender killings are not new. During the 2010 Football World Cup, Jimmy Mohlala, in Mpumalanga, was killed during the building of football stadiums because of tender corruption.
“Babita Deokaran was killed during Covid-19. Also, because of tender corruption. The list is long of innocent people who have lost their lives,” he said.
Bloem said the only way that the issue could be resolved, is to do away with the system.
“Activists and Citizens Forum calls upon government to scrap the current tender system and revert back to the old system where an independent body handled government projects.
“We further call upon the law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned to bring these heartless murderers to book and put them behind bars,” Bloem said.
The Star
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