A HUNTING company won a lucrative government contract in the Eastern Cape after hiring the provincial premier?s wife as a partner and shareholder.
It is the second time this year that Nambita Stofile, the wife of Premier Makhenkesi Stofile, has been exposed as a director of companies that have contracts with the provincial government.
She is a director and one-third shareholder of Masekhane Security, which has contracts with a number of government departments. Now it has emerged that she is also a partner in Ian Wilmot Safaris, which was recently awarded a government hunting tender.
Premier Stofile has vigorously defended his wife?s business interests in the face of criticism that these constitute a conflict of interest with his public responsibilities.
Nambita Stofile joined Ian Wilmot Safaris two weeks before the company successfully secured a 42,5% share of hunting rights on state-owned game reserves in the Eastern Cape.
Ian Wilmot Safaris has been awarded the tender by the Eastern Cape Tourism Board for the past three years. In December it entered into a black empowerment partnership with Moses Qomoyi and Nambita Stofile.
Colm Allan, director of the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) at Rhodes University, which probes corruption and maladministration in the Eastern Cape, says Nambita Stofile?s business interests constitute a conflict of interest with the premier?s official duties.
Allan says the only authorised way in which the contracts could have been awarded is through an application to the provincial tender board, which has the sole power to procure supplies and services for the province.
The members of the board are appointed by the provincial executive council, which can also terminate their services at any time. The premier is the head of the executive council.
Premier Stofile has dismissed suggestions of a conflict of interest with his wife?s business interests. He insists that the tender board is not influenced by his position as premier.
Qomoyi also dismisses allegations that her position as the premier?s wife in any way influenced the tender decision. ?Wilmot Safaris has been involved in the hunting industry for 17 years and Nambita has been involved in community work in the rural areas alongside these government games reserves. But Wilmot Safaris has received the tender in the past, before she became a partner.?
ZA*NOW:
Premier’s wife awarded govt tender March 8, 2001