The City Manager of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Sello More, has publicly and vehemently denied allegations that the municipality is involved in corrupt practices, specifically refuting claims that it demands a 10% bribe from service providers.
The denials came during a media briefing held by the Metro to address a range of pressing issues, including service delivery failures, inflated costs from contractors, and reports of political intimidation against its employees.
More framed the allegations as a politically motivated smear campaign, stating, “There are efforts to discredit the Mangaung Metro municipality ahead of the local government elections.” He urged anyone with evidence of criminality in the appointment of service providers to report it directly to the city or to the police.
In a firm declaration, More said, “But let me address: there is no 10%. There is no, in fact… we are not taking 10% from people. In fact, our supply chain is running faster now. There are no interceptions, there’s no political interference in our supply chain process.”
He detailed the municipality’s procurement process, emphasizing transparency and competitiveness. “We are following a competitive bidding process where everyone who believes they have the capacity to execute the project as per the specifications are allowed to bid,” More explained. He added that the tender opening register for every project is published on the municipality’s website immediately after closing.
On the critical issue of service delivery, the municipality acknowledged past failures in water and sanitation but outlined its plans for improvement. Officials committed to a phased project to eradicate pit latrines in more than 50,000 houses, starting in the current financial year.
More explained that the massive R3.8 billion project would be addressed in a piecemeal approach by area, rather than appointing a single contractor, due to the current financial constraints of the municipality.
The briefing also addressed internal allegations of harassment. The City Manager revealed that allegations leveled against the General Manager of Communications, Qondile Khedama, have been thoroughly investigated and dismissed.
“There is nothing, ladies and gentlemen. We cannot suspend anyone for a matter that has been considered… There were no findings against him and the matter was resolved at grievance level. There is no appeal,” More stated, declaring the matter officially closed.
Finally, the Metro addressed its financial stability, confirming it is awaiting a pronouncement from the national cabinet regarding its status and a potential intervention under Section 139 of the Constitution.
