Another City Power Project Coordinator Speaks Out: If Facts Were Read With No Politics Attached, We Would Not Have Been Here

Yesterday, iniafrica.com published a story in which one of Johannesburg’s City Power Project Coordinators who was arrested, dismissed, reinstated and later on charged again was speaking out about the real dynamics behind the whole Setheo City Power project in Eldorado Park.

Following that development, another project coordinator who was also dismissed in the same contested case where R66 million has been alleged to have been paid for no work done has also spoken, pouring his heart out in an interview with 1873FM.

He dispelled the allegations of fraud on payment for no work done saying that City Power adopted NEC3 kind of contracts which allows for upfront payment, of which all contractors and not Setheo alone were given such advance payments.

“Substation project works are dynamic and if facts were read with no politics attached, we would not have been here. Political statements were made in public and I guess a need for consistency.” He said

The coordinator said that it is public knowledge at City Power that he was a hard worker who has successfully completed several projects but unfortunately he has been a victim in a case which has been used as a political tool and this has unfortunately made people to suffer.

“I am depressed and I battle to sleep. I pray for survival and enough strength to hold on……..this matter is a pain for my entire family. God’s grace has kept me alive.”

“I can write a book and I don’t even wish for my enemy to go through what we are subjected to. I suffered depression, financial loss and reputational damage.” He lamented

He expressed shock on the fact that the name of the finance guy involved doesn’t even appear on the investigators report and that he was also never charged or prosecuted even though he was the person who dealt with the approval of the alleged fraudulent bank guarantees.

“The investigators report stated that I was part of the adjudication team whereas, I was not. Charges spoke to project bank guarantee that is alleged fraudulent, guarantees were approved by finance department.” He said.

The Project Coordinator told 1873FM that he was firstly charged with fraud and corruption which was later changed to negligence and then later on to gross negligence and now, he has also been summoned to court on new charges that he is yet to know since he was only served with summons without any details.

While citing that the former Mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba was the most vocal person about the issue even in the media, he said that charges against him were laid by politicians from the City of Johannesburg (COJ) and everyone else was just seemingly following instructions,.

He also decried the lackadaisical handling of the matter in which he revealed that even though he was suspended in June 2017, it was only attended early last year.

When asked on whether he has sought a legal recourse for the prejudice he has suffered, he said “I was unlawfully arrested and persecuted, I have requested that my lawyers should pursue the matter. It is very costly and has drained my little savings in trying to clear my name.”

He further narrated that even though the matter has been widely publicised in the media, he was never interviewed to get his side of the story and expressed dismay on the fact that unfortunately what has been reported then is still the narrative which people have been made to believe.

The Project Coordinator expressed that the circumstances under which the City of Johannesburg was heavily involved in the matter is a million dollar question that must be answered in this case which he described as politically motivated.