A Makhado municipality official was suspended last week, following allegations of corruption. Ms Tendani Tshisa, a civil engineering manager in the technical services department, was suspended for allegedly awarding a tender to a relative.

It is alleged that Ms Tshisa, who is a member of the evaluation committee on tenders, had allegedly awarded tenders to two construction companies, Masase and Siebathavha, unlawfully.  It is further alleged that the companies belong to Tshisa's husband. The spokesperson for the Makhado Municipality, Mr Louis Bobodi, confirmed Tshisa's suspension.

He said Tshisa was suspended for alleged maladministration. "The official will remain suspended until the investigation is completed," Bobodi said.

Meanwhile, the chairperson for the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), Mr Elvis Tlou, said that his organisation welcomed Tshisa's suspension. He cited discomfort, however, with the fact that Tshisa was not the only official sitting on the tender evaluation committee. "We also need other officials involved to be suspended," he said.

Tlou added that there were several other companies that had received tenders, and SAMWU would like to see the investigation broadened to include these companies. He supplied a list of companies that his organisation wanted to be investigated.

"The investigations into (the awarding of these) tenders must be (done) by the office of the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs. As the alliance of the ANC through COSATU, we are going to engage the ANC in the province," added the secretary of SAMWU, Mr Sylvesta Mulaudzi.

He said that SAMWU was also not satisfied with the response from the mayor regarding the memorandum they had presented for her attention. "For instance, there are people who had gone for interviews internally, but have still not been appointed since July last year. This is one of the issues that we need clarity on. Workers against whom the municipality had laid charges and were not found guilty after appearing before a court of law, must be reinstated," Mulaudzi said.

Tshisa received a letter of suspension last Friday.