Picture: North West MEC for Social Development, Boitumelo Moiloa
By OBAKENG MAJE
The North West Social Development is under siege after it is accused of contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) after it ‘irregularly’ awarded an R130 million security tender. According to the North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Premier, Finance and Cooperative Government, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs, the department proceeded with the awarding of the tender, despite being warned by the Provincial Internal Audit after it highlighted some discrepancies in their bid documents.
The chairperson of the Committee, Aaron Motswana said, they will urgently write to the North West Treasury to investigate the possibility of reviewing and setting aside this tender. Motswana further said, according to the information at their disposal, the department had advertised for the panel of security companies for 36 months (NW/DSD/07/22) on 31 August 2022.
“However, the same tender advertised for 36 months, is now awarded for eighteen months. On 2 May 2023, the department awarded ten companies, six of which are based in Gauteng, a tender valued at more than R130m. The department had earlier in September 2022, given the same ten companies, contracts varying at R566 000.
“This simply implies that, the adjudication process of this bid was already pre-conceived from September 2022. Between that time and now, these companies had earned R 4 528 000 for eight months on site. The Provincial Internal Audit report is very clear on inconsistencies applied in advertising, evaluating, and adjudicating this tender,” he said.
Motswana further said, they implore the North West MEC for Finance, Motlalepula Rosho to pull all the stops and investigate whether there was compliance.
“This irregularity confirms the view held by the majority of Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) that, companies of the North West are being deprived and throttled by their own government in favour of other provinces. The economic opportunities are exported at a grand scale.
“The Office of the Premier has to date, failed to respond on how a person who in the Public Service Commission (PSC) report of 6 March 2019, possessed only a matric, but suddenly had qualifications by September 2020 when he applied for a post of Head of Department (HoD) of the North West Social Development,” said Motswana.
He added that, the PSC report has not been taken on review to date, yet the Office of the Premier ignored that the report was adopted and tabled. Motswana said it remains a House Resolution and by implications, not only they are dealing with a fraudulent HoD, but the department is in contempt of parliament.
Meanwhile, the North West Social Development spokesperson, Petrus Siko said he is still gathering more details on the matter.
“Look, I’ll look for answers and come back to you,” he said.
The Guardian 