Renovations to be done at the almost R400-million Intermodal Transport Facility located in the city centre of the Free State capital, are expected to be complete within the next eight to ten months. It is then that the facility, which has been shrouded in allegations of maladministration, will become utilised. On Tuesday, February 12, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality signed a 30-year lease agreement with the Greater Bloemfontein Taxi Association through its entity, the Free State Taxi Association. 

The long-term lease was described as a first in the country by members of the taxi industry and the municipality. Municipal Manager, Tankiso Mea, said that the facility answers the very urgent call for socio-economic transformation. Municipal Mayor, Olly Mlamleli, did not disclose the exact amount of money it will cost for the association to rent the property. She did explain that the value of the building and other economic factors were taken into account.

Mlamleli says the finalisation of the agreement does not mean the facility will be operational tomorrow. She says what the public will see, is activity at the facility. "There will be job creation, there will be movement,” she says emphatically. 

In late 2018, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane released her long-awaited report on the controversial facility. In it, Mkhwebane states that there is no evidence of maladministration on the part of Mangaung Metro regarding the construction of the facility. The investigation into the building dates back to 2012, when Mkhwebane’s predecessor, Thuli Madonsela, was at the helm. The complaint was lodged by a Mr MI Liphoko on 30 July 2012 in which he alleged that the municipality was allocated about R400 million for the facility by the National Department of Transport, of which only R40-million had been accounted for.

The complainant alleged that the municipality inflated the price of the taxi tank when it only used R40-million and pocketed the difference. In her findings on the matter, the current Public Protector states that the Mangaung Metro not only provided evidence that the grant from the National Department of Transport and the expenditure were appropriated in a budget as per the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), they further provided proof that the total amount spent was close to R400-million. 

The complainant, on the other hand, provided no evidence to support his allegations against the municipality. The report further absolves the municipality of undue delay in completing the taxi tank which was meant to be up and running by 2010 for the FIFA World Cup but ended up only being completed a year later. It does, however, not delve into who is responsible for the facility remaining unused for so many years.

OFM News