A seven-year court battle between the eThekwini Municipality and a service provider resulted in the absence of functional back-office services, compromising the municipality's ability to process traffic infringements and recover fines.
The municipality’s Security and Emergency Services Committee outlined the challenges the Durban Metro Police Directorate faced with a service provider since a contract was awarded in June 2016. This contract covered supplying, installing, maintaining, and supporting electronic enforcement technology, as well as providing operational and back-office support for processing and finalising violations.
The committee chairperson, Councillor Zandile Myeni, reported to the eThekwini Executive Committee (Exco) on Tuesday that discussions are underway to propose an amendment to the contract to incorporate the required back-office functionality and related support services.
The committee reported that after the tender was awarded, the municipality and the contractors were embroiled in a legal dispute regarding the fee structure of the service level agreement. The protracted litigation was resolved through a court order, which instructed that the contract be reinstated.
