R1.2 billion State Information Technology Agency tender riddled with irregularities
The SITA tender was first dealt with by the previous Parliament, but the new committee says it had to follow up on the matter.
FILE: The NSC exams commenced on 30 October 2023, where almost a million candidates participated in the final exams. Picture: © paylessimages/123rf.com
CAPE TOWN - Parliamemt’s communications committee has heard how an R1.2 billion State Information Technology Agency (SITA) tender was riddled with irregularities.
The investigation by law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr also implicated officials from the Western Cape Education Department in the tender for the provision of Local Area Network (LAN) services to Western Cape schools.
Some members of Parliament also raised concerns about why former members of the SITA board are still serving on the board despite the tender fallout.
The SITA tender was first dealt with by the previous Parliament, but the new wants to follow up on the matter.
Briefing the committee, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr's official Tendai Jangara said one of the irregularities was how the winning bidder submitted two pricing options.
"We could not find a precedent that speaks to a bidder providing two pricing solutions or two pricing options in one bid proposal."
Jangara told the committee that the Western Cape Education Department and government officials were also part of the full adjudication process.
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"This was an agency transaction, and we had two parties involved here. It was SITA officials working together with Western Cape officials."
The investigation also found that dimension data was also unfairly disqualified in the adjudication process.