Tender fraud allegations rock KZN education dept, MEC accused of rigging
It cited tender rigging and political favouritism benefitting MEC Sipho Hlomuka's ANC campaign.
Opposition parties in KwaZulu-Natal have joined the calls for an urgent probe into the school nutrition programme.
Opposition parties in KwaZulu-Natal have called for an urgent probe into Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka after allegations of tender rigging and political interference in tender processes surfaced.
Leading the charge against Hlomuka, the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) Service Providers Association called for the MEC's immediate suspension and for an investigation into the current school nutrition tender process in the province.
It claimed the school nutrition tender process had been marred by serious allegations of tender rigging, political interference, and gross procedural violations.
According to the association, they had obtained concrete evidence confirming that the tender process was being manipulated to serve Hlomuka's political campaign interests.
It produced a leaked list of allegedly preselected service providers, received weeks ago, which it claims showed that only individuals and companies that openly supported Hlomuka's bid to lead the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal had been positioned to benefit from the multimillion-rand tender.
'This is not only an abuse of public procurement, but also an exploitation of a constitutional programme meant to feed vulnerable school children – now turned into a campaign war chest for narrow political ambitions,' said the association spokesperson Thabang Mncwabe.
Mncwabe said supply chain management procedures were deliberately undermined and that they were demanding an immediate cancellation of the current NSNP tender pending a full, transparent, and independent investigation.
The KwaZulu-Natal education department has outright denied allegations of the wrongful awarding of school nutrition tenders.
When asked about the claims on the sidelines of a school visit in Phoenix on Tuesday, Hlomuka said he had never sat in on any tender committees.
He added that the NSNP's tender process was currently in its appeals period, and that those who felt they weren't considered because of irregularities or corruption could launch appeals.
Hlomuka said:
That appeal won't be dealt with by the department of education, but will be handled by the Treasury. That means that we would be called in by the Treasury as the department, not Hlomuka.
'I'm sure you have never heard that there is an MEC who sits in [on] tenders. But when people want to achieve their political scores, they would put the MEC [there], as if we sit in tender committees. I have never sat in tender committees.
'Whoever wants to appeal or claim that there is corruption, they can report to the treasurer or any law enforcement and we will take ourselves to account.'
According to Mncwabe, the association has called on all current service providers to urgently lodge appeals with the KwaZulu-Natal Treasury to challenge the irregularities.
He said:
At the end of the day, no one is above the law. The NSNP is a national programme designed to eliminate hunger, not a political tool to buy votes or consolidate power.
The MK Party demanded the immediate suspension of 'the rotten and illegal tender process'.
'Let it be clear, our country is not, and will never be, a feeding trough for ANC-linked elites. The people of South Africa have suffered enough and will no longer fund political dynasties while their children starve and services collapse,' it said in a statement.
The EFF said it planned to pursue every legal and political avenue to challenge the tenders.
'This is not merely a case of unethical governance, it is criminal looting of funds meant to feed impoverished children,' it said.
The provincial DA has meanwhile formally written to KwaZulu-Natal Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), requesting an urgent investigation into the awarding of NSNP tenders.
It alleged that there were companies linked to the wives of senior ANC figures in the province.
The DA said it had called on Scopa to subpoena all procurement documents related to the awarding of the NSNP tenders, and investigate the bidding processes followed, including the scoring criteria and the identities of adjudication panel members.
ActionSA's provincial chairperson Zwakele Mncwango has written to Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli requesting an urgent investigation.
In the letter, the party said it was deeply concerned about the serious allegations of irregularities, corruption, and abuse of power within the departments of health and education.
'These allegations undermine the public's trust in the provincial government and its commitment to good governance, accountability, and transparency,' Mncwango wrote.
'It is particularly concerning that you [Ntuli] have remained silent on these matters, despite your previous rhetoric on issues such as illegal immigration.'
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