A Durban-based company that was accused of fronting by the eThekwini council last year has appealed against the decision and is still vying for municipal and government contracts.
A probe conducted by the council last year concluded that Collaboration and Knowledge Business Systems (CKB), which provides paperless document solutions, had used an employee and company driver, Africa Dube, as a front in order to obtain government contracts.
Its probe came after complaints that several Durban businesses, especially at uShaka Marine World, had used blacks as fronts in order to obtain contracts on the strength of their empowerment credentials.
While the eThekwini Municipality decided to terminate a R5-million contract that had been awarded to CKB, the company responded by appealing against the council's suspension of the contract.
CKB, which has offices in Kloof, apparently has also tendered for a follow-up contract of R15-million.
City Manager Mike Sutcliffe confirmed that CKB was bidding for the second phase of the tender.
"When our investigation found that CKB was guilty of fronting they were suspended from getting any contracts with the city.
"However, they have since appealed against the suspension and they have requested an opportunity to state their case. Until such time, I am unable to comment," he said .
Dube, who lives in a two-room mud house in an informal settlement in Mayville, said he had suffered prejudice after the highlighting of his plight late last year.
He claimed his annual bonus had been suspended last year while access to CKB's bank account had been terminated.
Dube also claimed that CKB had forced him to sign papers stating that he was handing over the company to its previous owners. He said they wanted him to go back to being a messenger.
However, Dube said he had refused to sign the papers and handed them over to the city's Legal Services Department.
Sutcliffe confirmed that the municipality was in possession of the papers that Dube was supposed to have signed.
The Mercury tried to contact CKB Sales Manager Chris Cleator for the company's side of the story. However, a secretary said that Cleator was unavailable for comment and that it was against company policy to give information to the media.