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By OBAKENG MAJE

North West Department of Education continues to be marred by widespread corruption and malfeasance. This comes after the department is implicated in the Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) scandal worth R9.2 million recently.

According to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the department established an informal committee to manage the procurement of PPEs outside the committee as provided by in terms of treasury regulations.

SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago said the investigation in the affairs of the department has uncovered that the committee may have committed financial misconduct as it failed to ensure that the Supply Chain Management governing public procurement process was fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, and cost-effective.

“The investigation further shows that two requests for quotations (RFQ) were issued by the committee on behalf of the department for the supply and delivery of 50 000 masks per RFQ.

“In the first RFQ, three service providers were appointed to the value of R3.7 million, while on the second RFQ, five service providers were appointed to the value of R5.512 million,” he said.

Kganyago said, however, the department used the two RFQs to procure 400 000 masks, which was 300 000 more than what was initially requested. He said the irregularity has resulted in the department having to pay more than R9.2 million for masks, instead of R2.5 million.

“The regulated price for the face cloth mask by the National Treasury is R25. Our investigation has also revealed that one service provider was appointed despite submitting a quotation after the cut-off time.

“Furthermore, the committee even requested that one of the service providers reduce their quotation so that it be below the threshold set by National Treasury. This is the second irregularity relating to PPEs procurement that the SIU has uncovered in the department.

“The SIU has commenced with the civil litigation process to declare the contract invalid and unlawful and to recover any financial losses suffered by the North West Provincial

Government (NWPG),” said Kganyago.

He added that in line with SIU Act of 1996, the SIU made a disciplinary referral against members of the informal procurement committee for flouting supply chain management processes and for exposing the department to over expenditure of more than R6.5 million in the appointment of service providers.

Kganyago said ordinarily, all competitive bids above R500 000 that are awarded by the government entities must be awarded by a Bid Adjudication Committee in terms of National Treasury regulations.

“The Bid Adjudication Committee consider the recommendations of the Bid Evaluation

Committee and depending on the delegated powers make a final award or a recommendation to the accounting officer to make a final award,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the North West Education department spokesperson, Elias Malindi said he will comment on the matter after meeting with his principals.  

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By OBAKENG MAJE

African National Congress (ANC) leadership in Mokgareng village, Taung alongside with its embattled branch secretary, Mmoloki Mojaki who was accused of assaulting the chief, visited the Ntokwe royal house on Sunday.

The truce visit comes following a ‘frosted and fractured’ relations between the ANC leadership, its deployee and the tribal leadership in the village.

Some residents raised concerns over Mojaki’s nominee as the incoming ANC ward 7 councillor after 2021 Local Government elections. They deemed Mojaki as ‘rebellious and ill-disciplined’ person who is not fit to lead.

It is allegedly that Mojaki assaulted Kgosi Victor Ntokwe back in 2019 after a commotion ensued over Mokgareng High School project.

ANC ward 7 branch spokesperson, Vela Ntuli said in a statement that the ‘highly powered’ delegation had an extraordinary session with Bogosi Baga Kgosi Ntokwe after spurious allegations made rounds in the media and social media fraternity.

“We visited the Bogosi Baga Kgosi Ntokwe after spurious allegations did rounds in the media and social media and making serious but baseless allegations against the ward branch secretary and nominee of the branch for ward candidate, Mojaki.

“An extraordinary meeting was attended by Kgosi Ntokwe Kingsley Ntokwe and the highly powered delegation led by the branch chairperson, Oupa Moses Moshe

Mopharing,” he said.

Ntuli said the deliberations reflected on the need for the traditional authority to be respected and for relations to be rebuilt. He said they agreed on the need to normalize working relations and work for the common good of the community of Mokgareng in particular and ward 7 in general.

According to Ntuli, Kgosi stated in no uncertain terms that all political parties in the ward, including all candidates are his subjects and he refuses to be made to hate other members of the community.

“Kgosi Ntokwe made it categorically clear that he has no objection against any candidate of any political party assuming high office, including Mojaki. Kgosi also highlighted that they will work with any elected leader to bring developments to the community.

“Mojaki also indicated that he heard for the first time in the media about those frivolous and baseless allegations. He committed to work with all stakeholders to bring development in the area, be it former councillors, NGOs, churches and other faith-based organizations, small businesses and the tribal authority,” said Ntuli.

He said Mojaki personally called for a new era, which is an era of focus, unity and service delivery. Ntuli added that the ANC Branch Executive Committee wishes to reaffirm its faith and confidence in the Bogosi as led by Kgosi Ntokwe and the Branch Election Team under the stewardship of Mojaki.

“We call on residents of ward 7 to work together and not entertain petty and manufactured concoctions from prophets of doom, who want to see the society divided.

“As BEC, we note the allegations as a poorly-orchestrated plan to cast aspersion on the integrity of our ward candidate and equally defame him. We pledge to rally around Mojaki and deliver a resounding ANC victory for ward 7,” he said.

However, Kgosi Victor Ntokwe who was allegedly assaulted by Mojaki did not buy it. Ntokwe said he was called by Kgosi Ntokwe Kingsley Ntokwe who informed him that there are ANC members who want to make truce.

“I was not part of that meeting because I feel that Mojaki is undermining me. He cannot go and ask for forgiveness from my brother, while I am the one he assaulted. He was supposed to request forgiveness from me if he really mean it,” he said.

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By BAKANG MOKOTO

Residents of Maphoitsile village near Taung are expected to picket outside Maphoitsile Primary School on Tuesday over sexual assault allegations against the principal.

It is alleged that the principal sexually assaulted a Grade 6 learner by touching her inappropriately. According to South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) branch organiser, Luckyboy Tidikwe, the learner informed her grandmother that the principal fondled her breasts and private parts, but nothing has been done to address the matter.

“We understand that the principal allegedly touched the breasts and private parts of a learner and this did not happen once or twice, but more than three times. The learner informed her grandmother, who went to the school to confront the principal.

“However, it seems this matter was not reported to the North West Education department because nothing has happened to address it. Now, as SANCO and members of the community, we call for the removal of the principal,” Tidikwe said.

He further said they cannot allow their learners to be under “monsters” supervision and situation should be just normal. Tidikwe added that, the department should conduct thorough investigations to check how many learners were also sexually abused by the same “predator”.

Meanwhile, the North West Education department spokesperson, Elias Malindi said he will respond later as he is still gathering facts around the matter.

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