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Mantashe still to face the music on IPP tender as DNG appeals

The Independent Power Production tender won by the Turkish company Karpowership, aimed at producing emergency power after Eskom’s failing power generation, has taken a different turn.

The competing company, DNG Power has taken Mineral Resources minister Gwede Mantashe, Director General Thabo Mokoena and the department to court. Though DNG had previously lost the case, the company has appealed, calling for a thorough investigation into Mantashe Mokoena.

DNG has accused “Mantashe’s team” of soliciting a bribe from the company after they told DNG’s Managing Director Aldoworth Mbalati that in order to win the tender, “they need to be in the system”. The meeting was held at a private booth at Kream restaurant in Pretoria.

Mokoena has confessed to meeting Mbalati but denied any wrong doing. According to the PFMA(Public Finance Management Act), no department official is permitted to solicit a bribe, invite or meet a bidder outside of other bidders.

In November the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) granted operating licences to Karpowership SA for three of the country’s ports and in a statement the Regulator said the issuing of generation licences for the seven Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme preferred bidders, based on the available information and analysis conducted on the applications for generation licences by the seven bidders.

In the court papers DNG maintains that Mbalati was approached by a businessman close to Mantashe and Mokoena. The businessman allegedly also told Mbalati that he should be “assisted by certain undisclosed parties should it (DNG) wish to be a preferred bidder and ultimately be awarded the contract”.

DNG also alleged that a representative from Karpowership allegedly approached a close family member of Mantashe for an extension of the bid notification date, which was granted on October 30, 2020, by way of text communication. In the appeal documents, DNG has attached what it says is proof of communique between Mantashe and Karpowership.

The Karpowership application to operate the LNG to power vessels at three of the country’s ports was rejected after its environmental licence failed.

Source: www.iol.co.za

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Mantashe still to face the music on IPP tender as DNG appeals

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