Pretoria - ActionSA has formerly laid a complaint about an Mpumalanga R50 million beauty pageant scandal that has rocked the province.
Despite this, the glitzy event took place last Saturday, seeing the crowning of a new Miss Mpumalanga.
Pretoria News recently reported that ActionSA provincial chairperson Thoko Mashiane accused the province’s Economic Regulator of corruption involving the awarding of the multimillion-rand tender to a company called Mzimari Productions, to hold the province’s beauty contest yearly.
The party says the contest has been embroiled in allegations of corruption to the tune of R4.5m every year for the past 12 years, which would amount to a total in excess of R50m.
In a formal complaint letter, addressed to the Hawks and seen by Pretoria News, Mashiane states: “It has come to my attention that the Miss Mpumalanga Beauty Contest has allegedly been embroiled in corruption worth R4.5m yearly, for the past 12 years.
“The Mpumalanga Economic Regulator has allegedly been consistently awarding a contract to one company only – Mzimari Productions – without advertising the tender.
“We hereby request you to investigate the alleged corrupt tender of Miss Mpumalanga Beauty Contest, that has been awarded to Mzimari Productions; seemingly without any bidding process having been undertaken.”
A similar letter was written to the Auditor-General stating the same reasons for an investigation.
Speaking to this publication yesterday, ActionSA’s spokesperson Smangaliso Shongwe said the party had not interdicted the pageant but had formally laid a complaint with the Hawks and the AG.
“Our lawyers last week wrote to the Hawks and the AG to investigate this matter.
“We know from our prior interactions with the Hawks that they will contact the provincial chair to meet and ask for further communication if needed.”
The party is asking for the two bodies to investigate and declare sanctions to people who are liable for any criminal activities.
He added that although the party was worried that the pageant took place, they could not interdict it.
“Our lawyers were not in a position to approach the courts and interdict the pageant from happening as investigations must first take place by the relevant bodies, and they must make definitive findings, which could then inform legal action from then on.
“ActionSA will not give up until the truth is uncovered and we will follow up with the relevant institutions every step of the way. We will also keep the media and the citizens of Mpumalanga appraised as any findings are made known to us,” Shongwe said.
Efforts to reach Mzimari Productions for comment came to nil.
The party further accused ANC politicians in the province of protecting the company and questioned why the regulator was involved in funding the contest.
“This is in contravention of legislative prescripts governing public funds,” Mashiane said.
Pretoria News