Ismail Vadi, newly appointed MEC of Gauteng’s department of roads and transport, has called for the auditor-general to investigate 13 contracts awarded by the departmental acquisition council between September and December last year.

Included in the investigation are two lucrative technology contracts, the intelligent number plate system, worth R1,3m, and the biometric identification system, worth R4m.

The intelligent number plate system has been in the pipeline since 2008 and has suffered from several delays in implementation.

Under the system, a radio frequency identification tag would be placed in each number plate. The tag would contain details of the owner of the car. Traffic officials would scan the tag and instantly have all the details needed.

The biometric system would have been installed at the newly revamped driver-learner testing centres. Several contracts relating to the turnaround of the learning centres are also being probed.

“The purpose of the investigation is to establish whether or not the decisions taken by the departmental acquisition council in respect of the contracts were in accordance with the established legal and regulatory prescripts of government,” says Vadi.

Vadi took office as the MEC late last year after serving as the chairman of the parliamentary portfolio committee of communications for several years.

He says he conducted a review of Gauteng’s department of roads and transport after his appointment. “A preliminary review of available departmental records conducted by both my office and the auditor-general has shown that there are grounds for a further, in-depth investigation into the matter,” he says.

Vadi says through this investigation he wants to improve the reputation of the department.

“I am determined to ensure integrity in the procurement processes within the department and the current investigation will hopefully either reveal compliance with regulatory framework or show up weaknesses in the system that will have to be rectified,” he says.

Vadi expects the investigation to take 12 weeks to complete.

Other contracts included in the investigation include R900m spent repairing roads over three years, security for the department amounting to R49m, construction of a building owned by the department with a contract value of R20m, and the rejuvenation of the learning and testing centres worth R35m. — Staff reporter, TechCentral