The Gauteng Women's Rugby Institute faces eviction after a service
provider, Nhlulu Development, appointed by the Gauteng Department of
Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), failed to transfer funds to
them meant for a coaching clinic and capacity building.
The young girls who are the beneficiaries of the services rendered by the
Gauteng Women's Rugby Institute are at the losing end of the stick. This
institute was their only hope of nurturing and honing their rugby skills.
Nhlulu Development was awarded a contract by the department and was
supposed to transfer R180 000 to the Gauteng Women's Rugby Institute, which
they never did.
The Gauteng Women's Rugby Institute is now in financial crisis and unable
to pay for water and electricity bills. As a result, the institute is now
facing a third eviction in seven months.
The Gauteng Women's Rugby Institute has also engaged the department on the
issue, and they claim that the department told them that it is no longer
their problem and that the institute must solve it.
This is unacceptable as the department is the one that contracted a service
provider that has failed to deliver. The department must account as the
beneficiaries did not receive the funds.
Kingsol Chabalala MPL – DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and
Recreation (SACR), says they suspect that there could be corrupt officials
involved in this issue.
"We demand that the Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation,
Mbali Hlophe must institute an urgent investigation into this matter to
ascertain whether proper procurement processes were followed when this
service provider was appointed."
"We will also be opening a case against Nhlulo Development with the South
African Police Services' Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation
(Hawks) Commercial Crimes Unit. We want Nhlulo Development to pay back the
R180 000 due to the Gauteng Women's Rugby Institute as a matter of
urgency," Said Chabalala.