Mpumalanga Education Department in Hot Water Over R800 Million Tablet Tender Scandal, SA Frustrated
- The Department of Education (DoE) in Mpumalanga is embroiled in another scandal involving the procurement of technological devices
- The department allegedly procured tablets worth R200 million, without the official tender evaluation being completed
- South Africans expressed frustration with the latest scandal and the huge amount of money that was spent on the devices
- Packard Bell has since reached out to Briefly News, confirming that all tablets supplied were delivered in full compliance
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
MPUMALANGA – The Department of Education (DoE) in Mpumalanga is again in hot water over the procurement of tech devices.
The DoE was previously embroiled in a scandal involving the purchase of laptops, during which over R2 million was spent on 22 laptops. That scandal led to the suspension of the Head of Department (HoD), Lucy Moyane.
The latest scandal involves an R800 million tender for tablets, with sources alleging that the process was rigged from the start.
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R200 million spent on allegedly faulty tablets
According to the City Press, who spoke to a source with knowledge of the tender, approximately 50,000 devices were procured before the official tender evaluation was completed. The tablets, worth R200 million, were warehoused and prepared for delivery before the process was complete.
A R600 million follow-up tender remains in the pipeline. The tender was created to supply 80,000 pupil devices to schools across the Mpumalanga province. According to the source, senior politicians and government officials were implicated in the tender saga.
Tablets failed compliance tests
The source told City Press that the first batch of tablets, worth R200 million, allegedly failed the mandatory State Information Technology Agency (Sita) compliance requirements. The devices, which were Packard Bell tablets, allegedly proved faulty after they were delivered to pupils.
This raised further questions about the procurement procedures and whether proper technical evaluations were conducted before the money was spent.
Source: Getty Images
Packard Bell has since reached out to Briefly News, confirming that all tablets supplied were delivered in full compliance with the technical specifications approved by the contracting parties and their appointed procurement partners.
Natalie Boyd, Chief Operations Officer at Omnia Strategic Counsel & Communications, said that the devices met the agreed performance standards and warranty requirements, and Packard Bell had not been notified of any verified or systemic device failures.
"As part of standard quality-assurance procedures applicable to technology deployments of this scale, Packard Bell South Africa further confirms that any devices identified with minor issues at the point of delivery are subjected to testing at the warehousing stage and replaced prior to final distribution.
"In this instance, the number of units identified with minor issues was below 2.5%, and all such devices were replaced before being issued to learners. This variance falls well within accepted industry norms for large-scale technology rollouts," she said.
"Packard Bell remains fully committed to supporting educational initiatives through the provision of compliant, fit-for-purpose technology and will continue to deliver products that meet the required specifications, supported by a comprehensive three-year warranty," Boyd added.
Sita was not involved in the procurement process
Speaking to City Press, Sita spokesperson Tlali Tlali said that the process excluded Sita, despite the law requiring that government departments source information and communications technology (ICT) products and solutions from Sita or through Sita.
"The bid specifications and agreement contract for the tablets were conducted between the service provider and the Department of Education. The specifications and quality assurance were concluded without Sita's participation, consultation and mandate," he said.
Tlali explained that Sita would first establish the facts before considering further action.
South Africans are left frustrated by the latest scandal
Social media users expressed frustration online over the latest scandal involving the department, while others were not surprised.
@EdwardthembaSa recalled:
“And we are coming from that R2.2m laptop scandal.”
@GumbiJabulano asked:
“The sun always sets in Mpumalanga. Will it ever rise beautifully, without any dark clouds?”
@C2021Paul exclaimed:
“There's a shocker…not.”
@mpiyakhe8 said:
“South Africa is not poor. It is just poorly run.”
@EsterlineFortu2 vented:
“These people can just spend millions and billions of taxpayer money without consequence.”
@KatlegoKaG stated:
“There's money to hire teachers in this country. Pity it is in the wrong people's hands.”
Laptop saga investigation finds that supplier knowingly overcharged department
Briefly News reported that Premier Mandla Ndlovu released the findings of an investigation into R2 million spent on 22 laptops.
The investigation found that the supplier knowingly provided the department with lower-spec laptops and overcharged them.
South Africans reacted to the findings, but didn’t believe that anyone would be punished for the scandal.
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Source: Briefly News
