The Special Tribunal has reviewed and set aside the R4.8m contract the KwaZulu-Natal department of social development awarded to Zain Brothers CC for the supply of 12,000 blankets last year.
The contract is one of four that the department entered into with four suppliers on March 27 last year for the procurement of 48,000 blankets at a cost of R22.4m in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In November last year, the Special Investigating Unit announced it had instituted civil proceedings with the Special Tribunal to the value of R259m for review, which included recovery of state funds.
The matter of the procurement of blankets was one such matter.
It is alleged by the SIU, in papers before the Special Tribunal, that before entering the contracts, the KZN department did not conduct a needs analysis. When the department embarked on the procurement process, Zain Brothers was allegedly invited to respond at a cost of R4.8m for the delivery of 12,000 blankets.
Civil proceedings were instituted against the supplier in the Special Tribunal to review and set aside the award and the resulting contract, and to recover losses suffered by the department.
The SIU further contended that the awarding of the contract to Zain Brothers was driven by the desire to favour them and that the process was tainted by fraud and made in bad faith.
Judge Lebogang Modiba granted the order to review and set aside the contract on Tuesday.
TimesLIVE
Special Tribunal sets aside R4.8m tender for 12,000 blankets
Journalist
Image: 123RF/ LE MOAL OLIVIER
The Special Tribunal has reviewed and set aside the R4.8m contract the KwaZulu-Natal department of social development awarded to Zain Brothers CC for the supply of 12,000 blankets last year.
The contract is one of four that the department entered into with four suppliers on March 27 last year for the procurement of 48,000 blankets at a cost of R22.4m in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In November last year, the Special Investigating Unit announced it had instituted civil proceedings with the Special Tribunal to the value of R259m for review, which included recovery of state funds.
The matter of the procurement of blankets was one such matter.
It is alleged by the SIU, in papers before the Special Tribunal, that before entering the contracts, the KZN department did not conduct a needs analysis. When the department embarked on the procurement process, Zain Brothers was allegedly invited to respond at a cost of R4.8m for the delivery of 12,000 blankets.
Civil proceedings were instituted against the supplier in the Special Tribunal to review and set aside the award and the resulting contract, and to recover losses suffered by the department.
The SIU further contended that the awarding of the contract to Zain Brothers was driven by the desire to favour them and that the process was tainted by fraud and made in bad faith.
Judge Lebogang Modiba granted the order to review and set aside the contract on Tuesday.
TimesLIVE
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