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Beside this, there are companies that did not provide quotations and were not listed in the memorandum where all companies were listed to do the maintenance, but they were paid. - SOURCE

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Sizwe sama Yende

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Mpumalanga education officials could have saved at least R500 000 had they not ignored five companies that quoted less than those they chose to renovate buildings and fences in schools and offices.

The People’s Eye has obtained information confirming that the officials may have favoured certain service providers after requesting quotations for eleven maintenance projects worth R15 million in the Ehlanzeni district that encompasses the municipalities of Mbombela, Thaba Chweu (Mashishing), Nkomazi (Malalane) and Bushbuckridge.

The department is currently under investigation by the legislature’s Select Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) following our exposé about inflated prices particularly for the renovation of a guardhouse and repainting of a palisade fence at the Ehlanzeni district offices in KaNyamazane outside Mbombela at about R1 million.

New evidence before us indicates that companies that quoted higher prices were awarded the tenders instead of those that quoted less for renovation work at five schools.

·      At Guduza, four companies submitted their quotations. Ingala Holdings quoted less at R809 572, but the department went for Thato Ya Ona Trading, which quoted R867 268;

·      At Letsakufa Primary School, Evelyn Rose quoted R896 160, but S&S Group was awarded the tender even though their quotation was about R100 000 more at R996 435;

·      At Tekwane Primary, the highest quotation of R997 199 by Girman Thandinkosi Trading was preferred. Three other companies quoted way less and one of those quoted R802 436 – about R200 000 less;

·      At Sinqobile Primary School, the lowest quotation was R838 883. The officials decided to appoint Shabangu Projects for R992 937;

·      Zabo Trading quoted R996 898 at Matsulu Primary School, but another company that quoted R991 495 was overlooked.

Had the department’s officials appointed companies that charged the smallest amount, about R500 000 could have been saved.

This, according to insiders within the Mpumalanga Department of Education, is just the tip of the iceberg. “Beside this, there are companies that did not provide quotations and were not listed in the memorandum where all companies were listed to do the maintenance, but they were paid,” and insider said.

Mpumalanga education spokesperson, Jasper Zwane, has indicated that he would no longer comment about this matter because it was under investigation by Scopa.  

Scopa chairperson, Desmond Moela, led his committee to the site on Tuesday this week. The committee members, joined by officials from the auditor-general’s office and treasury, expressed shock at how the department handled the matter.

Moela said: “MEC (Cathy Dlamini ama officials akho agangile, atshontshile (your officials have been naughty, they have stolen public funds).”

Dlamini was appointed to the department after the elections this year, a few months after the projects were implemented. She has indicated that she would launch an internal investigation.

A representative from the auditor-general’s office indicated that the department’s report had many elements of non-compliance that resulted in unauthorised expenditure while the costing details were missing.

The Scopa investigation has so far revealed that:

·      Officials changed and added more work that was not specified in the bill of quantities, forcing the department to incur unauthorised expenditure;

·      Instead of installing meranti doors on the guardhouse, officials changed the scope, and cheaper wooden doors were installed; 

·      The fencing project of the district offices was broken down into two in order to keep the prices under R1 million to avoid an open bidding process;

·      The tender for the renovation and fencing of the guardhouse was awarded to Mhloti Trading, which quoted R993 519, but another company, Mangethe, quoted less than R143 000 for the work on the guardhouse alone but was not considered;

·      After the tender was awarded items worth R440 887 were added.