A new open tender system for the City of Joburg will stop fraud and corruption associated with the secret awarding of tenders, Democratic Alliance mayor Herman Mashaba said on Friday.

“For decades, decisions regarding the tender procurement process have been shrouded in secrecy, benefiting the elite of the previous administrations and their cronies at the expense of service delivery and the residents of this city. This was tantamount to giving a fox keys to the hen house,” said Mashaba.

A council meeting on Thursday passed the amendment of the city’s supply chain management policy, opening the way for a public tender procurement system.

A tender adjudication committee would, from February, allow the public directly into its proceedings, said Mashaba.

“These proceedings are a crucial stage at which a tender is assessed and adjudicated on its merits and awarded to the applicant best suited for the job. Details about the first such sitting will be publicised on the City of Johannesburg’s notice boards and website. I encourage members of the public to seize this opportunity and become active participants in the good governance practices now embraced by the city.”

Meanwhile, the city’s annual report tabled at the Thursday council, showed Auditor General’s findings of maladministration for the 2015/16 period, which had been allocated a R52 billion budget.

The report found that 32 officials from the previous African National Congress (ANC) administration failed to disclose own interests or that of close family members, or associates. The officials benefited from city contracts worth millions of rands. Furthermore, the report found that 80 suppliers were found to have submitted false declaration of interests.

“These matters will be investigated further and disciplinary steps taken, based on the results of the investigations. This highlights the necessity of ensuring we have an open, transparent and fair tender process,” Mashaba said.