Corruption: Gwede Mantashe Associates Fingered by Losing Tender Bidder
- A losing tender bidder has claimed that the tender process was corrupt and "blatantly flawed"
- The boss of DNG Power has alleged that the process was manipulated by associates of Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe.
- Aldworth Mbalati claimed they allegedly offered him a majority share of the 2 000-megawatt programme first before most of it got awarded to a Turkish-led company
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A losing multi-billion-rand tender bidder for the supply of emergency power claims the tender process was corrupt and "blatantly flawed".
The boss of DNG Power has alleged that the process was manipulated by alleged associates of Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe.
Source: Twitter
Aldworth Mbalati claimed in court documents that the associates allegedly offered him a majority share of the 2 000-megawatt programme first before most of it got awarded to Turkish-led Karpowership SA instead.
The serious allegation was made in an affidavit deposed to by Mbalati, the founder and chief executive officer of DNG Power Holdings. According to Fin 24, the company filed urgent documents in the Pretoria High Court this week to challenge the outcome of the bid.
In his court documents, Mbalati revealed that he was courted by "a businessman with close ties to (Mantashe)" in July last year, a month before Mantashe's department published the bid.
He also claims that he got information that Karpowership had approached "a close family member"of the minister for an extension of bid deadlines. Mbalati said bidders were informed at the eleventh hour that the deadline would be extended by a month.
Mbalati said he was also invited to a cloak-and-dagger meeting in an upmarket Pretoria restaurant. He claims at the meeting, he was allegedly offered help to win the tender. Mbalati said this was unacceptable and left the meeting. DNG wants the high court to set aside the appointment of preferred bidders.
In other news related to Mantashe, Briefly News reported that ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe advised President Cyril Ramaphosa to set the truth free at the state capture commission on Wednesday, 28 April.
The Mineral Resources and Energy minister said he told the ruling party's president to speak the truth when he appears before the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture.
In an exclusive interview with EWN, Mantashe emphasised that he told Cyril Ramaphosa to be truthful when he testifies at the inquiry because "lies have short legs".
"Never try to manufacture the truth. State facts as you understand them... Lies have short legs."
ENCA took to Facebook and said that the focus on Ramaphosa's testimony is on ANC issues and cadre deployment.
Facebook users shared mixed reactions to the news outlet's post. Check out some of their comments below:
Mlunghisi Khosa said:
"What we need is no longer an ANC free of corruption but we need to free ourselves of the ANC. Action SA gets my vote this time and for the first time I am a member of a political party."
Joe Nathi commented:
"What about Glencoe, Marikana Massacre, $7 billion and R500 billion? No focus on that, fear and favour of this useless commission."
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Source: Briefly News
