The newly elected mayor of Tswhane, the Democratic Alliance’s Solly Msimanga, is to review the one of the key projects championed by his predecessor, former mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa.
Msimanga’s acting spokesman, Matthew Gerstner, confirmed to TechCentral on Tuesday that the Twshane free Wi-Fi project, known as TshWiFi, is one of a number of high-profile tenders and contracts to be reviewed by the new administration.
TshWiFi was conceived of and built by Project Isizwe, a non-profit founded by former Mxit CEO Alan Knott-Craig to provide free municipal Wi-Fi in South Africa. Tshwane was Project Isizwe’s first Wi-Fi project and remains its biggest, with the city providing the funding for the project. TshWi-Fi is available in low-income communities and high-trafficked areas across the city.
Business Day reported last week that Tshwane’s R5bn, 27-year Tshwane House lease is also being reviewed by the new mayor. A controversial prepaid smart meter contract, which has been through several court processes, might also ultimately be set aside by the new administration.
Gerstner told TechCentral that it’s too early to say where a review of the TshWiFi project will lead or whether the project might be cancelled or scaled back. It forms part of a broad review of contracts and tenders, he said.
“Meetings between the mayor and the service providers are being scheduled so that the necessary investigations can begin and so the mayor can make proper assessments of where we are at with these contracts,” Gerstner said.
He said it’s too early to know if the contracts will be extended or cancelled.
Project Isizwe CEO Zahir Khan could not immediately be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Msimanga’s office announced cost-cutting measures meant to “save the City of Tshwane from expenses that only benefit politicians”.
These include an immediate stop to the purchasing or leasing of luxury cars.
“No new luxury cars will be bought or leased for politicians, and if vehicles currently owned by Tshwane require replacement, sensible and low-cost vehicles will be procured,” the city said in a statement.
“I will not allow public money to be spent on luxury cars, while our people struggle for services, houses and jobs. No more luxury cars will be bought or leased under my government. A Hyundai i20 or Toyota Corolla can do the same job for a politician as an expensive sedan,” Msimanga said in the statement.
The mayor also redirected the purchase of 10 BMWs, with “high-capacity engines” earmarked for politicians, to the metropolitan police to help in the fight against vehicle hijacking.
Msimanga took over as mayor after the DA emerged as the biggest party in the metro after the 3 August local elections. — © 2016 NewsCentral Media
