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Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor, Zanoxol Wayile and his deputy Nancy Sihlwayi have reportedly received death threats in connection with a probe into the awarding of contracts for the Integrated Public Transport System.
Metro Minute reports that the investigation is being conducted by former National Director of Public Prosecutions, Vusi Pikoli, which is expected to take three months.
The tenders in question were worth some R200 million rand.
"One of the suggestions is that funds were used to pay a Cape Town based musical promoter."
On Thursday, mayor Wayile told a Council meeting that some councillors were involved.
saying "that they were acting maliciously and that reports had been submitted to both the Safety and Security Directorate and the SA Police Service."
Wayile also told the Council meeting that there was a "small problem" with some members of the taxi industry and that the IPTS, launched at the end of last week ahead of the African Cup of Nations tournament was no longer operating.
The Mayor stressed that one reason for the urgency to have the system operative was that if it was not the R600 million allocated to the Metro for the IPTS would have to be returned to National Treasury.
Sihlwayi, who has been driving the IPTS process, told Speaker Maria Hermans that the report would be submitted to her when it was completed.
"When we give you the report and identify the councillors, we want you to act," she said, adding that the officials involved would also be dealt with.
She said the taxi industry "is telling us who is involved," adding that it was "no secret that we want to know where the money has gone."
The IPTS in Nelson Mandela Bay has been plagued with challenges from the start but appeared to have cleared all the hurdles before the latest problem.
(Source: Metrominute - to subscribe mail metminutes@iafrica.com)