The Mail & Guardian has won its application to get access to tenders awarded by the local organising committee (LOC) for the 2010 World Cup.
Acting Judge Les Morison ruled in the South Gauteng High Court on Tuesday afternoon that the LOC must provide the M&G with all tender documents pertaining to contracts awarded for the World Cup and the Confederations Cup within 30 days.
Morison ruled that the LOC was performing a public function when it awarded tenders and that the public had the right to know which companies benefited from these contracts.
The judge added that the M&G and the public had no way to know if there was any corruption with the awarding of these tenders if the LOC did not provide them with the tender documents.
“Refusing access to these records would enable the organiser of this event to keep from the public eye documents which may disclose evidence of corruption, graft and incompetence in the organisation of the World Cup, or which may disclose that there has been no such malfeasance,” the judge said.
Morison awarded costs to the M&G.