R2m laptop rip-off: Officials bought cheaper models, lied to Premier – Mpumalanga Education Department crackdown begins

IOL News

05-05-2025

Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu has promised full accountability and legal action after forensic investigation has exposed how officials in the Mpumalanga Education Department approved the purchase of inferior laptops at inflated prices
Senior officials, including the head of department (HOD), at the Mpumalanga Department of Education will face disciplinary action after an investigation revealed irregularities in the procurement of 22 laptops worth over R2 million, Premier Mandla Ndlovu announced.
The laptops were purchased in December 2024 at a cost of R91,482.50 each.
IOL News previously reported that the department admitted that the devices were acquired at a high cost, stating they were intended for the Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teams.
Other officials whose responsibilities require high-performance computing also benefited.
In a statement, the department clarified that Education MEC Catherine Dlamini was not among the recipients.
Ndlovu said during a Monday media briefing in Mbombela that he was alerted to the issue by a whistleblower on February 15, 2025.
He said after receiving an unsatisfactory response from the department, he instructed the Office of the Premier's Integrity, Forensic Investigation and Security Management Chief Directorate to launch an investigation.
'The procurement of the 22 laptops and a printer, at a cost of R91,482.50 each, appeared to be an anomaly,' said Ndlovu.
The investigation was conducted in line with Chapter 10, Section 195(1) of the Constitution and the administration's priority of building a capable, ethical, and developmental state.
It sought to determine whether the procurement complied with applicable prescripts such as the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) regulations.
According to the findings, the procurement process was 'materially flawed' and did not comply with Section 217 of the Constitution, nor Sections 38 and 45 of the PFMA.
'The process was not fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, or cost-effective,' said Ndlovu.
'The supplier failed to comply with the purchase order and delivered laptops of lesser quality than what was approved and paid for.'
Departmental officials allegedly specified a particular brand instead of functional requirements, limiting the bidding to specific suppliers within Mbombela.
This contravened procurement regulations that require broader market engagement, Ndlovu said.
Officials also accepted delivery of laptops not matching the approved specifications, which had been improperly changed by an unauthorised official.
The Bid Adjudication Committee's condition to negotiate pricing before the order was ignored.
The department paid for Dell XPS 15 laptops at R91,482.50 each, despite market comparisons showing similar or better models available for far less.
Ndlovu said, for example, Dell XPS 13 costs R59,200.00, Dell XPS 14 is R64,579.52, Dell XPS 15 priced at R66,095.00 while Dell XPS 16 is R73,189.68.
He said only two of the laptops delivered were Dell XPS 14s in October 2024, while 20 XPS 13s were delivered in December 2024, none of which aligned with the procurement specifications.
Ndlovu said officials misrepresented several aspects of the transaction, including the procurement process, delivery quality, and value of the goods.
Some individuals implicated in the procurement also participated in the internal investigation, which Ndlovu called "grossly dishonest."
'The supplier attempted to conceal non-compliance with specifications, and department officials misled both the Premier and the MEC,' he said.
The report also found that officials failed to comply with the SITA RFB 740-2020 Engagement Model, governing purchases of IT equipment and services for government departments.
Ndlovu said the provincial government intends to recover the financial losses from the service provider, blacklist the company from future tenders, and report it to SITA.
'We will also institute disciplinary action against all implicated officials, including the HOD,' said Ndlovu, citing relevant legislation such as the Public Service Act of 1994, the Public Finance Management Act of 1999, and the Senior Management Handbook.
He added that lifestyle reviews, which may lead to full lifestyle audits, will be conducted on all implicated officials, including a broader governance review of the department will also be undertaken.
'A progress report on the implementation of all recommendations will be made public on June 30, 2025,' Ndlovu added.
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