The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) seized laptops from the Eastern Cape education department offices in Zwelitsha on Monday afternoon.

This was confirmed by both the SIU and, more reluctantly, the provincial education department.

The seizures relate to procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the department.

SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said: “The investigators went to the department of education today [Monday] to collect those documents and to get the computers.”

He said they were investigating PPE procurement.

“We investigate to find people and companies. When we do investigations we get documentation and information from laptops for us to analyse,” he said.

“What we want from laptops is information.”

When approached for comment, Vuyiseka Mboxela, spokesperson for MEC Fundile Gade, initially responded by sending laughing emoticons on WhatsApp, followed by the word “suka” (go away).

Mboxela questioned how the Dispatch had received its information.

However, she then said: “Yes, the SIU visit is part of the decision taken by the president of the country, premier and the cabinet of the Eastern Cape to investigate the Covid-19 procurement process.

“The MEC is pleased with the visit and we will await their findings and take it from there. As of now let's allow the law enforcement agencies to do their work without any disruption of or speculation about the findings.”

SIU head advocate Andy Mothibi told a meeting of parliament's standing committee on public accounts last week that the unit was probing 352 recently-awarded contracts in the Eastern Cape.

The SIU applied to President Cyril Ramaphosa for a proclamation to investigate alleged “maladministration and corruption” regarding procurement by all state institutions across all three tiers of government.

Meanwhile, in a statement on Monday afternoon, the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) said it was taking a contract between the Eastern Cape education department, Sizwe Africa IT Group and MTN on review, and it would not  comment further until the high court had pronounced on the matter.

“Sita reiterates its commitment to serving the citizens of South Africa, to public service delivery and promoting the efficiency of government departments and public bodies through ICT and Sita is committed to taking the necessary legal action to protect the organisation,” the statement says.

The Dispatch reported earlier in August that the provincial education department broke the law when it signed a contract worth hundreds of millions of rand to  lease 55,000 tablet devices and provide a virtual classroom solution for Grade 12 pupils for three years.

The head of the education department, Thembela Kojana, received a letter on July 3 from Sita, stating the contract was unlawful and the department should not participate.

According to Sita, the Eastern Cape department of education did not get approval from the state Information Technology Agency and contravened Section 7(3) of the Sita Act.

In terms of this section of the Sita Act, every government department is required to procure all information technology goods or services through Sita. — DispatchLIVE