Former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba says he is willing to give testimony to the Madlanga Commission about the corruption he uncovered during his time in office.
His comments come after the commission requested tender documents from the Johannesburg Metro Police Department this week related to procurement. The JMPD has faced allegations of corruption in the recruitment of officers and in the conduct of the officers themselves. A tender for vehicles used by the JMPD has also been a subject of controversy.
The commission wants a full paper trail of security-related contracts, including bid submissions, evaluation reports, adjudication outcomes and all related correspondence.
Mashaba, whose party ActionSA is not currently in power in Johannesburg, said he would be happy to assist the commission. He said that when he was mayor, he uncovered R35 billion worth of fraud and corruption, and that he has been on record fighting with the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority for not proceeding with these cases. He said he welcomes the commission looking into Johannesburg.
Mashaba said most of the information about what he discovered is with the City of Johannesburg’s Group Forensic Investigation Services, a unit he established to investigate fraud and corruption. He said those cases are there and some are as clear as daylight.
Meanwhile, the DA in Johannesburg has also welcomed the commission’s interest in the city. DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said for years the DA has demanded transparency and accountability in all tenders involving city entities, including Johannesburg Water, City Power, the Johannesburg Roads Agency, the Johannesburg Social Housing Company, the Metropolitan Trading Company and the Johannesburg Property Company.
She said councillors have consistently been obstructed in carrying out oversight, with entities refusing to provide clear answers or withholding critical information. She added that the DA has already escalated these concerns to the Special Investigating Unit, calling for an investigation into the city’s reliance on water tankers, as well as lifestyle audits for senior officials.
The commission has already uncovered mass corruption in the City of Tshwane and the City of Ekurhuleni related to security contracts, leading to several arrests in Ekurhuleni.
