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Even EFF’s firebrand leader, Collen Sedibe, had to withdraw his correspondence to Veritas Engineering that sought answers and made spurious allegations against three ANC politicians.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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The Mpumalanga Department of Health has declined to reveal details about its contract with a file digitisation company which was accused of charging exorbitantly in Limpopo.

The People’s Eye understands that the department hired Veritas Engineering and Project Management Consultants last year without the tender being advertised.

In Limpopo, Veritas Engineering was accused of claiming R1 million a day to scan, archive and store inactive records from hospitals and clinics for a period of 60 months.

The Democratic Alliance in that province accused the provincial health department of failing to disclose the monetary value of Veritas’ tender to the portfolio committee on health.

An anonymous student leader has since laid charges with the Hawks in Polokwane to investigate alleged irregularities around this contract.

Mpumalanga spokesperson Dumisani Malamule’s excuse for not answering questions since Wednesday was that “our principals are abroad and it’s not easy to get hold of them.”

The questions sought to find out the duration and value of Veritas’ contract and records that show that supply chain management processes were followed.

To prove that the department has been hiding details of the contract, Mpumalanga EFF leader, Collen Sedibe, wrote to Veritas Engineering CEO Glenvin Latchmanan on October 24 2023 demanding information.

Sedibe said in his correspondence that the department did not invite bidders but appointed Veritas on supply chain processes done by the Limpopo Department of Health.

He demanded the duration and value of the contract and a copy of the service level agreement that Veritas signed with the department.

Sedibe, however, also raised unsubstantiated allegations that Veritas Engineering was paying 7% of its income as bribes every month to three senior ANC politicians.

Even though Sedibe threatened to lay charges against the company, he cowered after being threatened with litigation.

“The EFF gives you seven working days to respond to this letter, failure which the EFF will have no option but to take the matter up with the relevant authorities,” Sedibe had said.

He confirmed this week that he got cold feet at pursuing the matter. “I withdrew the letter after my source failed to provide me with the proof as he earlier promised. I requested for it for a week and he did not provide, leaving me with no option but to provisionally withdraw the letter to avoid being sued as I was already threatened by the suspects.”

Just like Malamule, Latchmanan has evaded answering questions since May. Latchmanan told The People’s Eye on May 17 to e-mail questions that had already been sent to him on WhatsApp.

He did not answer the e-mailed questions and decided not to respond to The People’s Eye when pursued to answer. This week, he ignored a WhatsApp message.