‘Looting using matric papers': Why did NW printing job price jump by around R100m?
The job has reportedly never cost more than R30m, but is now apparently being done for R128m a year, for five years.
There are concerns of possible 'looting' and corruption within the North West education department after it signed a new matric paper printing job that costs four times what it did last year.
The department reportedly spent just over R28 million last year to print its question papers, but has now appointed a new provider for the services, Lebone Altron DSV Consortium. That provider, according to a City Press insider, is charging R128 million a year for the service.
The department has disputed the amount, but revealed the actual amount is over R100 million. It justified the cost by saying it included not only printing but also other logistics like storage and distribution.
Still, insiders insist that these other services were included in the previous deal at a fraction of the price. They smell a rat and claim there is 'a lot of looting using the printing of matric question papers'.
'The material used for printing the question papers is normal, which is found in any printing company. We do not use any special materials, but the money [the department is going to pay] is too much,' said a source.
Why don't they use government printers?
According to the national education department, eight of the nine provinces, including the North West, have stopped using the Government's Printing Works (GPW) to print their matric papers amid security concerns.
'The GPW in its current structure lacks the capacity to print secure question papers for all nine provincial
education departments. This capacity can be extended with time, but the reality is that it is also a major risk for all national question papers to be printed at one venue in the country,' the department said previously.
'Another important factor is that provincial education departments (PED) prefer to have in-house printing facilities, which allows them to manage the process more closely. Hence, printing in Pretoria at GPW
is not the most convenient arrangement for most PEDs.'
And while leaks have reportedly reduced, the cost of printing, now in private hands, has risen.
ALSO READ: Hawks make major breakthrough in matric results 'breach' – One detained
Last year, it was reported that the cost more than tripled from less than R1 billion to R3.6 billion.
The national education department later clarified that this R3.6 billion included setting the papers, moderation, printing, transport, security, marking and allowances for markers, maintenance of systems, and printing and distribution of statement of results.
'The estimated cost for just the printing and packing of question papers for all candidates writing the October/November examination is R220 million, and this is a fraction of the R3.6 billion quoted,' the department explained.
NOW READ: WATCH: Matric results for just R100? Outcry over 'leak' of marks
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
R500 million contract for North West matric papers sparks controversy
Bank notes of R200 denomination The North West department of education says the annual contract for the printing and transportation of examination papers will cost R100 million annually and the contract was awarded to joint venture Lebone Altron DSV Consortium. Image: File Education activist Hendrick Makaneta has amplified concerns about the R500 million contract for the printing and delivering of National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination papers in the North West province. Weekend newspaper reports stated that the five-year contract with joint venture Lebone Altron DSV Consortium will cost the North West province R128 million annually. On the other hand, the North West department of education has disputed the City Press reports, insisting that the five-year contract will cost the provincial authorities around R100 million annually. Speaking to IOL, Makaneta who is the director of the Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa said the contract was 'too costly'. 'Spending R500 million on a contract for printing and delivering examination papers is very costly. While it is important to keep papers safe, this huge expenditure raises serious concerns about priorities and transparency. We still have shortages of textbooks and poor infrastructure,' said Makaneta. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. 'The North West department of education should disclose details of the contract with specific reference to a breakdown of costs, and public engagement on alternatives. Outsourcing must not come at the cost of accountability.' Outspoken education activist Hendrick Makaneta spoke to IOL Image: Supplied Makaneta said the South African population deserves to know how learners will benefit from this whole process. In an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, acting North West deputy director general for exams and curriculum, David Moroeng said the contract extends beyond the printing of examination papers. 'The contract that we have entered into is not only a contract for printing but it is a contract of what we call end-to-end, where we prepare question papers, we print and they are picked up and packaged. Once they are prepared (the question papers), they are going to be stored and then to the different storage points in the province under a secured environment,' he said. 'The previous service provider, that was two to three years ago, it was GPW (Government Printing Works) and we left GPW because we had a one-year SLA (service level agreement) that we had with them. We moved away and started looking for a new service provider.' Moroeng said for the past two years, the North West provincial department was being hosted by their colleagues - the Gauteng department of education. 'We moved now, starting with our own tender process and we advertised, after advertising we got Lebone Litho consortium and also Altron DSV taking the bid,' he said. Moroeng said the GPW contract was ranging around R27 million to 29 million but it was limited to printing. 'When we left GPW two years ago, we started paying around R80 million to R90 million in terms of printing. This year, when we started the new contract, we have added some new features that were not there, that is secured printing, secured transportation of the question papers within the province,' he said. As part of the added services, Moroeng said the new service provider is mandated to transport answer books to the different marking venues across the province.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
‘Looting using matric papers': Why did NW printing job price jump by around R100m?
The job has reportedly never cost more than R30m, but is now apparently being done for R128m a year, for five years. There are concerns of possible 'looting' and corruption within the North West education department after it signed a new matric paper printing job that costs four times what it did last year. The department reportedly spent just over R28 million last year to print its question papers, but has now appointed a new provider for the services, Lebone Altron DSV Consortium. That provider, according to a City Press insider, is charging R128 million a year for the service. The department has disputed the amount, but revealed the actual amount is over R100 million. It justified the cost by saying it included not only printing but also other logistics like storage and distribution. Still, insiders insist that these other services were included in the previous deal at a fraction of the price. They smell a rat and claim there is 'a lot of looting using the printing of matric question papers'. 'The material used for printing the question papers is normal, which is found in any printing company. We do not use any special materials, but the money [the department is going to pay] is too much,' said a source. Why don't they use government printers? According to the national education department, eight of the nine provinces, including the North West, have stopped using the Government's Printing Works (GPW) to print their matric papers amid security concerns. 'The GPW in its current structure lacks the capacity to print secure question papers for all nine provincial education departments. This capacity can be extended with time, but the reality is that it is also a major risk for all national question papers to be printed at one venue in the country,' the department said previously. 'Another important factor is that provincial education departments (PED) prefer to have in-house printing facilities, which allows them to manage the process more closely. Hence, printing in Pretoria at GPW is not the most convenient arrangement for most PEDs.' And while leaks have reportedly reduced, the cost of printing, now in private hands, has risen. ALSO READ: Hawks make major breakthrough in matric results 'breach' – One detained Last year, it was reported that the cost more than tripled from less than R1 billion to R3.6 billion. The national education department later clarified that this R3.6 billion included setting the papers, moderation, printing, transport, security, marking and allowances for markers, maintenance of systems, and printing and distribution of statement of results. 'The estimated cost for just the printing and packing of question papers for all candidates writing the October/November examination is R220 million, and this is a fraction of the R3.6 billion quoted,' the department explained. NOW READ: WATCH: Matric results for just R100? Outcry over 'leak' of marks
5 days ago
Hailey Bieber rockets to billionaire status with Rhode
Hailey Bieber has just shaken up the beauty world—and her bank account in a move that's sending shockwaves. Bieber's skincare brand, Rhode, has been snapped up by cosmetics powerhouse E.l.f. Beauty for a jaw-dropping R18 billion. Hailey Bieber, only three years into her beauty business journey, isn't stepping aside. Instead, she's stepping up. 'From day one, my vision for Rhode has been to make essential skin care and hybrid makeup you can use every day,' Bieber declared, according to Harper's Bazaar . 'Just three years into this journey, our partnership with E.l.f. Beauty marks an incredible opportunity to elevate. We can accelerate our ability to reach more of our community with even more innovative products and widen our distribution globally'. E.l.f. Beauty will pay R14.4 billion at closing, a mix of cash and stock. There's also a sweetener: an extra R3.6 billion could be paid out if Rhode continues to grow over the next three years. Rhode's meteoric rise is nothing short of spectacular. The brand, named after Hailey's middle name, launched in 2022. It quickly became a social media sensation, especially on TikTok, with its peptide lip treatments and 'glazing' products. In the last year alone, Rhode raked in over R3.8 billion in net sales. Hailey Bieber isn't going anywhere, as she'll stay on as Chief Creative Officer and Head of Innovation, guiding Rhode's next chapter. Her co-founders, Michael D. Ratner and Lauren Ratner, will also keep their hands on the wheel. 'We can't wait to bring Rhode to more faces, places, and spaces,' Bieber said, hinting at global ambitions that could soon see Rhode's products on South African shelves. E.l.f. Beauty's CEO, Tarang Amin, is just as excited as Rhode further diversify their portfolio with a fast-growing brand that makes the best of prestige accessible. We are excited by Rhode's ability to break beauty barriers, fully aligning with E.l.f. Beauty's vision is to create a different kind of company. Rhode is a beautiful brand that we believe is ready for rocketship growth,' he said. This deal is a sign of the growing power of social media-driven brands and the global appetite for innovative skincare. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
