Controversial EC Stadium Contractor Lands New R41M ANC Municipal Tender, SA Bewildered

• The company behind the multi-million rand stadium in the Eastern Cape, Thalami Civils, is again in the spotlight
• Thalami Civils scored a R41 million tender from the ANC-run Amathole district municipality
• The development has cast social media into a frenzy as Saffas attempt to make sense of the story

The contractor behind the highly-publicised R15 million Lesseyton sports field in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality of the Eastern Cape has landed another lucrative municipal tender.

The Pretoria-based construction company, Thalami Civils, owned by Luthando Jojwana, has reportedly been awarded a R41 million water scheme project tender.

News24 reported that the tender belongs to the cash-strapped Amathole district municipality, whose financials are said to have been run into the ground.

Briefly News understands the same municipality awarded Thalami Civils the contract for the Cafutweni water supply scheme project in Dutywa in September.

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Despite another contractor, who has since threatened legal action as their bid for the project came in at R22 million, which is R19 million less than Thalami Civils, the contract went the ay of the latter.

Rolling deals in Eastern Cape

The report further states that since 2015, the firm had closed deals with at least seven financially struggling ANC municipalities in the Eastern Cape.

In total earnings, the company has, to date, reportedly raked in at least R86 million from tender deals in the province.

South Africans on social media had plenty to say about the bizarre situation, with many questioning the nature of the dealings between ANC-run municipalities and the construction company.

Many questions around serial tenderpreneur

Briefly News takes a look at what Saffas had to say.

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@StretfordKnigh1 wrote:

"You can't spell Eastern Cape without corruption."

@MncubeKhanyiso said:

"A Pretoria based company getting tenders in EC so kahle kahle there is no company who can offer the same in EC something wrong eSA."

@IanKeane3 added:

"Brotherly love. These guys don’t even try to make it less obvious. The poor will remain poor and the corrupt will get richer."

@Mohulatsi_Lebog shared:

"This is what is been happening for decades in our communities. Construction contractors come to our municipalities and never complete or even the money allocated for the tender is far beyond the job that was done. The ANC has manifested itself with greed."

Aldrin Sampear drags flat 'ribbon cutting' ceremony at R15M Eastern Cape stadium

In related news, Briefly News previously reported that Mzansi talk radio host Aldrin Sampear has joined the bandwagon after he went online to drag the R15 million Eastern Cape stadium in a seemingly innocuous post.

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On 5 October, social media was abuzz after pictures emerged of the new Lesseyton sports field in the Enoch Mgijima local municipality near Komani (formerly Queenstown).

The caption read:

"Even the “ribbon” is not a ribbon."

The "state of the art" facility came under heavy scrutiny from politicians, including the EFF's Floyd Shivambu and One South African Movement leader, Mmusi Maimane.

Questions quickly arose around where the money must have gone given the facility's barren and lacklustre appearance. A small delegation comprising ANC officials were present at the "ribbon-cutting" ceremony.

Source: Briefly News