The Eastern Cape education department will investigate why a company not registered on a state database was awarded a contract to supply 415 laptops for staff.Part of the probe will also look into claims that the department paid close to R5-million although the equipment was not delivered.
It has also been alleged that the company which won the tender – SmartFit Trading Enterprise – was told to submit an invoice before delivery, and had a day to supply the laptops or lose the contract.
“Expenditure Approval” documents from the department seen by the Daily Dispatch show that two batches of payments were approved by IT acting director Londoloza Lutya and another two employees.
The payments amounted to:
lR1.9-million for 176 laptops; and
lR2.6-million for 239 laptops.
No details were available on how or where the money was paid, only that it was to SmartFit.
Contacted for comment, SmartFit owner Sibusiso Mtengwane said the money had not been paid into his account, the details of which he had submitted to the department.
He confirmed that his company had been awarded the tender to supply the laptops despite not being registered with the State Information Technology Agency (Sita).
Mtengwane said Sita registration had not been specified in the advert for the contract.
However, in a memo signed by the then head of department (HoD), Mthunywa Ngonzo dated January 14 2013, the directors of the IT unit stated that only companies registered with Sita would be awarded the contract.
Mtengwane said his company was only registered with the Department of Labour.
He said he had never received the R4.6-million payment because he had never delivered the laptops.
This is however contrary to internal documents signed by Lutya confirming the laptops were received.
Mtengwane said he was asked to submit an invoice before buying the goods.
“I was told the same day that I will have to deliver the laptops or the contract will be cancelled.”
He said he tried to get the laptops but officials only wanted Hewlett-Packard computers.
“They could not give me at least three weeks that I asked for but demanded that I do it in a day. I knew something was wrong. I did not even get 10c from that money. I want at least a half of that money because I spent a lot travelling around looking for those laptops.
“They just needed an invoice so that they can have paper work for auditing purposes I’m still angry about this,” he said.
Ngonzo, who approved the contract following a request from the IT directorate, said he had no recollection of the contract.
He declined to comment further saying he was no longer an HoD.
Provincial education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said: “These are very serious allegations that require meticulous painstaking investigation by our risk assessment and internal audit sections.”
He said the department would conduct a “48-hour” investigation and the outcome would decide on how to take the matter forward. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
Bhisho to probe laptops tender
Part of the probe will also look into claims that the department paid close to R5-million although the equipment was not delivered.
It has also been alleged that the company which won the tender – SmartFit Trading Enterprise – was told to submit an invoice before delivery, and had a day to supply the laptops or lose the contract.
“Expenditure Approval” documents from the department seen by the Daily Dispatch show that two batches of payments were approved by IT acting director Londoloza Lutya and another two employees.
The payments amounted to:
lR1.9-million for 176 laptops; and
lR2.6-million for 239 laptops.
No details were available on how or where the money was paid, only that it was to SmartFit.
Contacted for comment, SmartFit owner Sibusiso Mtengwane said the money had not been paid into his account, the details of which he had submitted to the department.
He confirmed that his company had been awarded the tender to supply the laptops despite not being registered with the State Information Technology Agency (Sita).
Mtengwane said Sita registration had not been specified in the advert for the contract.
However, in a memo signed by the then head of department (HoD), Mthunywa Ngonzo dated January 14 2013, the directors of the IT unit stated that only companies registered with Sita would be awarded the contract.
Mtengwane said his company was only registered with the Department of Labour.
He said he had never received the R4.6-million payment because he had never delivered the laptops.
This is however contrary to internal documents signed by Lutya confirming the laptops were received.
Mtengwane said he was asked to submit an invoice before buying the goods.
“I was told the same day that I will have to deliver the laptops or the contract will be cancelled.”
He said he tried to get the laptops but officials only wanted Hewlett-Packard computers.
“They could not give me at least three weeks that I asked for but demanded that I do it in a day. I knew something was wrong. I did not even get 10c from that money. I want at least a half of that money because I spent a lot travelling around looking for those laptops.
“They just needed an invoice so that they can have paper work for auditing purposes I’m still angry about this,” he said.
Ngonzo, who approved the contract following a request from the IT directorate, said he had no recollection of the contract.
He declined to comment further saying he was no longer an HoD.
Provincial education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said: “These are very serious allegations that require meticulous painstaking investigation by our risk assessment and internal audit sections.”
He said the department would conduct a “48-hour” investigation and the outcome would decide on how to take the matter forward. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za
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