Tablet device contract heads for high court

The State Information Technology Agency has turned to the high court in a bid to stop a controversial R538m tablet deal between the provincial education department, Sizwe Africa IT Group and MTN.

In terms of the law, every department is required to procure all information technology goods or services through the Sita.

The provincial education department contravened the State Information Technology Act when it piggybacked on an existing provincial contract to lease 55,000 tablet devices and provide a virtual classroom solution for Grade 12 pupils for three years, said the agency.

The contract, signed with Sizwe Africa IT Group, will cost taxpayers more than half a billion rand.

The Dispatch’s sources have indicated that this is an exorbitant sum for the goods and services being provided and is also likely to balloon to twice that amount — which the education department has denied.

The agency this week confirmed Dispatch reports that it had advised the provincial treasury in March that participation on the basis of an existing contract was an unfair practice that went against the concept of an open, competitive and fair process.

It said there were multiple service providers in the market able to provide this service.

Barely a month after this advice the department — with the blessing of the provincial treasury — entered into the contract with Sizwe Africa IT without following any competitive process.

Instead, it did exactly as it was advised it should not and piggybacked its contract on a completely unrelated contract Sizwe Africa IT had with the department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism.

Sita said a crucial part of its mandate in assisting SA citizens in embracing the fourth industrial revolution was “to guard against corruption and ensure procurement is done fairly and equitably”.

The agency said it had written to the department again in July, informing it of the unlawfulness of the contract.

The letter, which has been seen by the Dispatch, strongly advised that the department not participate in the contract.

It informed the department that the economic affairs department was also required to procure all its information technology goods and services through Sita.

Still, the education department proceeded to participate in the contract.

Sita said it was committed to taking the necessary legal action to protect the organisation.

“Sita is taking the contract between the Eastern Cape education department, Sizwe Africa IT Group and MTN on review, and Sita will not further comment until the high court has pronounced on the matter,” it said.

It is not clear whether or not Sita had already issued its application in court.

By print deadline on Tuesday Sita had not responded to questions on whether it intended taking the department to court on an urgent basis.

Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the department did not want to comment on a matter that was before the courts.

Attempts to reach Sizwe Africa IT CEO Vukile Mehana by telephone were unsuccessful.