ActionSA has welcomed the City of Tshwane’s formal submission to National Treasury seeking the blacklisting of companies linked to controversial businessman Edwin Sodi, describing the move as a decisive step toward accountability after years of alleged corruption and maladministration.
In a statement issued on Thursday, ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the submission, if approved by Treasury, would effectively bar Sodi-linked entities from doing business with the state, cutting off what he described as “feeding troughs” that had thrived on public funds.
The blacklisting bid relates to the long-troubled Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant project, which has been at the centre of investigations into procurement irregularities and the prolonged water crisis in Hammanskraal. Residents endured years of unsafe water, disruptions and additional costs as the project stalled amid allegations of corruption.
ActionSA said the move by Tshwane marks the culmination of a protracted political and legal battle. The party claims it repeatedly tabled motions under previous city administrations to compel forensic investigations into the Rooiwal project, efforts which ultimately contributed to probes by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the initiation of the blacklisting process.
“These motions were consistently opposed,” Beaumont said, accusing the Democratic Alliance (DA), which previously led the City, of allowing the matter to “pass without consequences”. He said it was “ironic” that the DA is now attempting to score political points, given that the original tender was awarded during its administration and that no blacklisting action was taken during its subsequent five years in office.
The DA has previously defended its record in Tshwane, arguing that infrastructure challenges were complex and that corrective processes were under way during its tenure. However, the blacklisting submission has once again placed responsibility for the Rooiwal failures at the centre of coalition politics in the capital.
ActionSA framed the development as a measure of justice for Hammanskraal residents, who were forced to rely on water tankers and bottled water for extended periods. The party credited the current administration under Mayor Nasiphi Moya for accelerating service delivery and addressing past failures.
Under Moya’s leadership, ActionSA said, potable water is finally being rolled out to affected communities, while historical debt related to sub-standard water has been written off. The mayor, who took office at the head of a multi-party coalition, pledged to root out corruption and restore governance in the metro.
According to ActionSA, more than R11 billion in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure is now under investigation, and several civil servants deemed unfit for duty have been removed. The party said the groundwork for the Sodi-linked blacklisting began in Moya’s first week in office.
If National Treasury approves the submission, it would represent one of the most significant blacklisting actions in recent municipal history, reinforcing efforts to keep companies implicated in corruption out of public procurement.
“The wolves must be kept out for good,” Beaumont said, adding that ActionSA believes the evidence before Treasury is sufficient for the blacklisting to be finalised.
Treasury has not yet indicated when it will decide on the submission.
