Jwaneng Town mayor, Olga Ditsie has come under fire for winning Covid-19 food relief tender.
Through her company, Ditsie investment the mining town mayor has benefited from the programme much to the chagrin of many local businessmen.
A disgruntled councillor told The Voice in an interview that some local businesses have expressed disappointment at the council’s decision to award the mayor the Covid-19 food relief tender ahead of more deserving candidates.
“The main query here is that she is gainfully employed and is still on her mayoral job salary. We feel that such tenders should have been reserved for those that have been seriously affected by the pandemic and the lockdown,” another source from within the council said.
“It is a conflict of interest in my view. She should have absolved herself from such tenders to give struggling businesses a chance to stay afloat,” opined another concerned council employee.
Reached for a comment Ditsie did not deny that she had won the tender.
” Yes I will not deny it, my company has been engaged to provide services but that is only because the company has been doing so for the past years. Council has been engaging my general dealer for many years now. I have had the company since 2003,way before I got into politics and before winning the mayoral seat,” Ditsie explained.
The vibrant Jwaneng mayor further explained that she did not sit on the board that awarded the tender.
“My company is one of the 22 companies that have been awarded the tender simply out of merit because I have the capacity to supply. There is no conflict of interest there,” she said.
This is not the first time a mayor was slammed for winning a tender from her own council.
Recently the Francistown mayor also received backlash after his company also benefitted from the food relief programme.
Meanwhile the economic food relief programme has been tipped to cost Government a staggering P 150 870 083 and will be rolled out to vulnerable families.
When addressing the nation on Monday evening, President Mokgweetsi Masisi stated that 300,156 households have been assessed and 244,080 have been recommended for assistance.
“Government will scale up the distribution process of food packages and this assistance will continue until the situation regarding the containment of COVID-19 is fully under control,” Masisi said.