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The Citizen
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Nsikazi residents demand service delivery from Mpumalanga premier
The Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, was challenged to prioritise service delivery to communities of the City of Mbombela during his Executive Council (Exco) Outreach Programme (imbizo) last Friday. The KaBokweni Stadium was filled with frustrated residents of the Nsikazi region, most of whom said they feel neglected and failed by the local, and especially the provincial government. This while Ndlovu's office is situated less than 30km away from there. They had the chance to speak to Ndlovu directly. While he and members of his Exco noted the concerns raised, they could not account for some of the challenges. The plague of criminal activity, particularly sexual violence at schools and hijackings in the region, was a cause for concern. The residents said they are left to fend for themselves, as most police stations don't have enough vehicles to respond to crime scenes. This has resulted in the public losing faith in the police and the justice system in general. Ndlovu said the fight against crime requires communities to co-operate with the police and that the provincial government would support the crime-prevention systems put in place. The people also voiced complaints on the overcrowded primary schools in the area, such as Vutselani, Malekutu and Tsembaletfu. Thami Shabangu from Malekutu Trust said the schools are dilapidated and don't have enough classrooms to accommodate the number of pupils enrolled. ALSO READ: Hazyview Twin College teachers claim unfair dismissal by school's owner We asked the premier and his council to demolish and rebuild these schools, so that teachers and pupils have a conducive learning environment. We hope they heard our concerns and react quickly,' he said. In his list of concerns, Shabangu also highlighted the safety of public transport commuters, suggesting that load reduction should be scheduled during the day rather than in the evening when criminal activities are more likely to take place. The City of Mbombela has put in place a compulsory load reduction schedule of two hours daily – either from 05:00 to 07:00 or 19:00 to 21:00 – for all areas of Nsikazi. The dilapidated Mjejane Road between Malekutu and Mdlangoma was a recurring topic, brought up by many residents at the gathering. The MEC for public works, roads and transport, Thulasizwe Thomo, promised residents that it would be attended to, along with other public infrastructure issues such as the neglected Elijah Mango College of Higher Education. The deputy chairperson of the Ehlanzeni community policing forum (CPF), Jacob Sibhoza, brought up the issue of financial support for CPFs. He highlighted security and safety concerns caused by neglected and overgrown bushes at various hospitals, referring to the recent case of a missing patient whose body was found in the bushes near Tonga Hospital. ALSO READ: Mpumalanga High Court orders DoE to pay costs after failed postponement hearing Other issues that were raised were unemployment, alleged incompetence of ward councillors, and a lack of internet access at public facilities. Residents like Florence Mathebula from Bhuga attended the imbizo to plead with Ndlovu to build her a house, as she struggles to make ends meet living with a disability. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
eNCA
06-05-2025
- eNCA
Premier to take action against Education MEC
JOHANNESBURG - Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu plans to take action against his Education MEC. He's found a department in crisis after a whistleblower revealed a dodgy laptop tender. The department paid over R90,000 each for 22 devices. The probe also found the supplier knowingly overcharged the department.
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
R2m laptop scam: Mpumalanga to discipline 8 officials, blacklist supplier
Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu yesterday, at the Mbombela government complex, announced the findings of the Integrity, Forensic Investigations and Security Management report into the procurement of 22 laptops. Lowvelder reports Ndlovu said the Department of Education (DoE) appointed a service provider to supply 22 Dell XPS 15 laptops with accessories such as wireless mice and laptop bags at a cost of R91 482.50 each, and one HP printer for R8 269.45. Instead, the service provider delivered Dell XPS 13 and 14 laptops. 'The procurement of the laptops does not comply with Section 217 of the Constitution, read with the provisions of Sections 38 and 45 of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999. The process cannot be said to have been fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective. The departmental officials irregularly specified the brand they required instead of the functionality, resulting in only specific suppliers responding to the issued request for quotations. They also irregularly invited bids from a particular brand of suppliers and within the limited locality of Mbombela, despite the fact that it was required that they expand the scope to all suppliers of all brands provincially,' he said. Investigation findings Ndlovu said the investigation revealed that eight officials aided the service provider in defrauding the department. 'The supplier did not comply with the terms of the purchase order and delivered laptops of a lesser quality than what was approved and paid for, and the DoE accepted this delivery,' said Ndlovu. He added that the supplier misrepresented to the DoE that it had supplied goods as per the tender award, while knowing the laptops did not meet the specifications. Recommendations The premier recommended that the provincial government immediately recover any losses from the service provider. Disciplinary action will be taken against the eight implicated officials, as well as the head of department, Lucy Moyane. The service provider will be blacklisted on the National and Provincial Treasury Register for Tender Defaulters. Lifestyle audits will be conducted on the implicated officials. The department's functionality will be reviewed to strengthen internal controls around the procurement of Information and Communication Technology equipment. A progress report on the implementation of these recommendations will be released in June. Regarding the MEC for Education, Cathy Dlamini, the premier said she was not involved in the procurement process but that he would take action against her following the department's review. 'I would like to inform members of the public that while I am the premier of the province, no corruption or fraud will be tolerated. I am going to deal with any corruption decisively. People need to learn to live by the means that they are getting rather than commit fraud to make a better living at the expense of the public. The Mpumalanga government is committed to clean, ethical and transparent governance,' said Ndlovu. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald
R2m laptop purchase marred by irregularities and possible fraud
Mpumalanga premier Mandla Ndlovu says the procurement process followed by the department of education to acquire 22 laptops was riddled with misrepresentation, noncompliance with procurement laws and possible fraud. Ndlovu released the investigation findings into the procurement of laptops by the department at an inflated price of R91,482 each. He instituted the investigation at the beginning of April, after being alerted to the matter by a whistle-blower as early as February 15. Among other aspects, the investigation focused on whether the procurement processes followed for the acquisition complied with applicable prescripts, such as the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) Regulations and whether the department tested the market to determine if the goods provided offered value for money. Ndlovu found that the procurement was materially flawed, in that it did not comply with section 217 of the constitution, along with sections 38 and 45 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), as the process failed to meet the required standards of fairness, equity, transparency, competitiveness and cost-effectiveness. He added the supplier also did not comply with the terms of the purchase order and delivered laptops of a lesser quality than what was approved and paid for. 'The departmental officials irregularly specified the brand they required instead of the functionality, resulting in only specific suppliers responding to the issued request for quotations (RFQ),' he said. He said the officials irregularly invited bids from a particular brand of suppliers and within the limited locality of Mbombela though it was required that they expand the scope to suppliers of all brands provincially. 'The department accepted delivery of laptops not per the specification. The initial specifications were varied without a proper process and by an official not duly authorised. The conditions specified by the bid adjudication committee to negotiate the price before the order being issued were not adhered to. Then the department procured laptops of similar specifications, which could have been procured for a lesser amount had due diligence been applied.' The investigation also found that the process involved misrepresentation and possible fraud as the supplier misrepresented to the department that it supplied the goods as per the award when it knew that the laptops supplied were not per the specifications. He also found that officials in the department repeatedly misrepresented key aspects of the procurement process. They falsely claimed that proper procedures had been followed, that the goods delivered matched the approved specifications, and that the amount paid was accurate and justified — even though the laptops delivered were of inferior quality to those ordered. Further, they misrepresented that the technical specifications used were based on current user requirements, when in reality, they relied on outdated specifications developed two years prior, which had not been reviewed or updated for the current procurement. He further found evidence of gross dishonesty by certain department officials. Some officials were found to have conducted an internal investigation into a matter in which they themselves were implicated, while failing to fully disclose their involvement and also provided false information and misled both the premier and the MEC with inaccurate accounts of the procurement process. Ndlovu said, the service provider also acted dishonestly in an attempt to conceal its failure to meet the agreed specifications. Notably, the department had appointed this service provider to deliver 22 Dell XPS 15 laptops at R91,482.50 each and one HP printer at R8,269.45, amounting to a total of R2,020,883.45, which also included accessories such as wireless mice and laptop bags. He said they intend to immediately recover any financial losses incurred by the department as a result of the procurement of the laptops from the service provider. Additionally, they plan to initiate the process of blacklisting the service provider on the National/Provincial Treasury Register for Tender Defaulters and report the matter to SITA. He recommended that disciplinary action be instituted against all implicated officials, including the HOD, per the relevant prescripts, such as the Public Service Act, the Public Service Regulations, the Public Finance Management Act and Senior Management Handbook. He also proposed conducting lifestyle reviews on all officials named in the report, which may lead to lifestyle audits, in line with the applicable regulations. Ndlovu also recommended that any possible criminal acts, including but not limited to collusion, bribery, corruption, fraud, and financial misconduct under the Public Finance Management Act and Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act be reported to the police. TimesLIVE
The Citizen
05-05-2025
- The Citizen
Top 10 stories of the day: Heads to roll in MP laptop saga
Here's your daily news update for Monday, 5 May 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. In the news today, all Mpumalanga Department of Education officials will face disciplinary action for the irregular procurement of 22 laptops for a staggering R2 million. Meanwhile, an Eastern Cape mother can now breathe a sigh of relief after a murder charge against her – stemming from the death of a man who allegedly raped her daughter – was withdrawn. Furthermore, the DA says the United States' intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo was more fruitful than the Southern African Development Community peacekeeping mission. Weather tomorrow: 6 May 2025 Extremely high fire danger is expected in the Nama Khoi municipality, while most provinces enjoy cool, fine weather. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. R2 million laptop saga triggers disciplinary action in Mpumalanga education department All Mpumalanga Department of Education officials, including the head of the department, will face disciplinary action for the irregular procurement of 22 laptops for a staggering R2 million. Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu released the much-anticipated findings of an investigation into the so-called Mpumalanga laptop saga on Monday morning. Laptop on a classroom desk surrounded by school supplies. Picture: iStock The Department of Education purchased 22 laptops and a printer for R2 million, which means each laptop cost over R91,482.50, well above the market price. CONTINUE READING: R2 million laptop saga triggers disciplinary action in Mpumalanga education department Murder charge dropped against EC mother who confronted daughter's alleged rapist A mother from the Eastern Cape can now breathe a sigh of relief after a murder charge against her – stemming from the death of a man who allegedly raped her daughter – was withdrawn. On Monday, the 44-year-old woman made her appearance in the Cacadu Magistrate's Court, formerly known as Lady Frere, facing a charge of murder. Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane in Cacadu on 5 May 2025. Picture: Eastern Cape government The incident occurred on 5 April, when the woman reportedly caught a 65-year-old man in the act of raping her disabled daughter at his residence in a village in Cacadu. It is alleged that the man was beaten to death by the mother and other locals. She was subsequently arrested and charged with murder but was granted R500 bail on 10 April. CONTINUE READING: Murder charge dropped against EC mother who confronted daughter's alleged rapist SANDF in DRC: Trump administration did what SA couldn't, says DA The DA has questioned South Africa's intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after reports that the United States government is on course to broker a peace deal between rival groups in the region. This comes as South African troops make their way home after Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces withdrew from the DRC. Members of the M23 armed group board a pickup truck as they leave to carry out a patrol. Picture: AFP DA spokesperson on defence and military veterans Chris Hattingh told The Citizen that Washington's intervention was more fruitful than the SADC peacekeeping mission. 'The recent peace breakthrough between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda didn't come from years of regional mediation, it came swiftly from Washington.' CONTINUE READING: SANDF in DRC: Trump administration did what SA couldn't, says DA Blitzboks win Sevens World Championship in Los Angeles South Africa's Blitzboks saved their best for last this season as they went all the way in Los Angeles on Sunday to lift the World Championship title. Philip Snyman's team beat Spain in the final of the elite eight-team tournament, following the regular season. The Blitzboks celebrate with the trophy after winning the men's Sevens LA World Championship at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles on Sunday. Picture: Patrick T Fallon/AFP The Blitzboks won 19-5 in California early Monday morning (SA time) to end a perfect weekend. In the semi-final, they beat New Zealand 26-5, while on day one of the tournament they won all three of their pool matches — against France (19-10), Great Britain (12-7) and Argentina (29-21).. CONTINUE READING: Blitzboks win Sevens World Championship in Los Angeles Free State asbestos trial: Investigating officer denies misleading US over Cholota's extradition The state has denied misleading the United States (US) government to secure the extradition of Moroadi Cholota, former personal assistant to ex-Free State premier Ace Magashule. A trial-within-a-trial began on Monday at the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein as part of the R255 million asbestos corruption case. Cholota is contesting the court's jurisdiction and the legality of her extradition from the US. Former Free State premier Ace Magashule speaks to his former PA Moroadi Cholota at Bloemfontein High Court on 15 April 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Mlungisi Louw She was extradited to South Africa on 8 August 2024 to face charges alongside Magashule and 16 others related to fraud and corruption. Money laundering charges against her were recently withdrawn after the US declined to extradite her on those grounds. CONTINUE READING: Free State asbestos trial: Investigating officer denies misleading US over Cholota's extradition Here are five more stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: Top 10 stories of the day: SANDF's withdrawal from DRC | ANC told to ditch DA| Mbeki accused of trying to save his reputation
