KZN MEC Francois Rodgers addresses scholar transport tender issues
KZN Finance MEC Francois Rodgers says the current scholar transport services will not be impacted by processes related to new tenders.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers has stated that the allegations surrounding the awarding of the scholar transport tender will not affect the current services.
The Treasury has demanded that the Department of Transport in KwaZulu-Natal, which oversees the scholar transport function, must investigate and report back on the tender process to award new contracts for scholar transport following allegations of irregularities with the process.
The scholar transport service transports thousands of pupils each day to schools that are a distance from their homes.
Speaking on a news channel on Thursday morning, the MEC said, “Let me make this very clear, the process that is underway will in no way affect the scholar transport; scholar transport and the existing contracts will continue until we resolve it. So no way at all will this jeopardise children being transported to school. That is first and foremost in our minds.”
He explained that tender processes like this one are handled by the department itself. If the companies that had made bids are unhappy, they can appeal to what falls under the Treasury, the Bids Appeal Tribunal.
“Now it's based on the findings of over 60 tenders that were appealed, and the Bids Appeal Adjudication Committee wrote to me to say the entire process was flawed, from evaluation through to adjudication.
“It is my duty and responsibility to write to the MEC for Transport, which I did at the beginning of August, to inform him of the findings of the Appeals Committee and request that the process be halted and that the current transport tender continue. I also need a report back on exactly how and why this occurred.”
Rodgers stated that there was R2 billion allocated for scholar transport, and nothing at this point should interfere with the existing contracts.
Rodgers comments come after the KZN transport department’s detailed statement on Wednesday, which said leaks and selective framing of official correspondence create “a distinct impression that there is a deliberate attempt to misinform the public and to smear the MEC”.
“From the onset, Duma believed and relied heavily on the checks and balances of SCM processes developed by the 4th Administration with the Provincial Treasury as the custodian. Anything else is intended to mislead and to hog media headlines,” the transport department said.