The State IT Company (Sita) has echoed requires an investigation into the procurement by Mpumalanga’s division of primary schooling of twenty-two laptops at a value of R2-million.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Sita mentioned there are “plenty of unanswered questions” concerning the procurement procedures adopted in buying the laptops, whose inflated price Sita described as “outrageously exorbitant”. The laptops price the division greater than R90 000 every.
Sita is chargeable for organising a “transversal procurement panel” for presidency departments that outlines pre-approved distributors by means of which {hardware} similar to laptops may be purchased. It’s unclear whether or not Mpumalanga made use of this panel when sourcing the laptops in query.
“We established the transversal procurement panel to construct the capability of the state, to not destroy it. We discover it extraordinarily regarding that however the existence of this transversal panel, which has each nationwide and provincial attain, the division paid an outrageously exorbitant value for these laptops,” mentioned Sita spokesman Tlali Tlali within the assertion. “This attracts curiosity and should invite an investigative course of to know what actually occurred.”
Authorities departments are mandated to make use of Sita’s companies for IT-related procurement. However the company has denied any involvement within the procurement of the laptops. It mentioned there isn’t any document of the transaction on its programs.
How the Mpumalanga schooling division was in a position to bypass Sita and its procurement procedures in buying these laptops will forged additional doubt on the company’s means to supervise all of presidency IT from a centralised place.
Underneath hearth
Sita has come below hearth from varied spheres of presidency for its alleged lack of ability to course of procurement requests in an inexpensive timeframe, which has led to price overruns and mission delays.
Some departments have gone so far as requesting exemptions from the foundations that pressure them to make use of Sita. Police minister Senzo Mchunu and residential affairs minister Leon Schreiber have each known as for the decentralisation of IT procurement, leaving it to the departments themselves to make these shopping for choices.
“Sita is a synthetic assemble that stands squarely in the best way of technological progress, not solely at residence affairs, however throughout authorities,” Schreiber mentioned final November.
Learn: It’s time to finish Sita’s monopoly over state IT
Communications minister Solly Malatsi in December ordered the Public Service Fee to launch a probe into Sita’s affairs. Malatsi acknowledged that a number of departments have sought exemption from Sita, however the course of would seemingly require legislative modifications.
Malatsi has, nonetheless, launched rules permitting authorities departments to acquire their very own IT companies, a transfer was met with sharp criticism from ANC MPs, together with the chair of the parliament’s portfolio committee on communications, Khusela Diko.
Diko accused Malatsi of “bypassing the regulation” and looking for to “devolve Sita’s powers”, arguing that any remedial motion must be aimed toward empowering the organisation from inside as an alternative.
“The minister has benefit on a few of the points that he desires to deal with, and he’s properly inside his proper to take action. However the minister has to comply with correct course of and keep on with the letter and spirit of the regulation,” mentioned Diko.
In the meantime, Sita’s Tlali emphasised the company’s significance within the IT procurement course of by stating that the transversal contract Sita has in place, which was allegedly not adopted by the Mpumalanga primary schooling division, has measures to make sure suppliers value the services and products pretty in order that authorities pays “cheap” quantities for IT.
Learn: Sita below hearth: parliament launches probe into company’s governance disaster
Sita will meet with officers from the Mpumalanga primary schooling division in a while Wednesday to debate the matter, mentioned Tlali.
“Worth reasonability is without doubt one of the elements embedded within the cost-effectiveness necessities of all bids. The unit value which these laptops have been bought at to the consumer has exceeded the edge for a mark-up permitted below this transversal contract,” mentioned Tlali. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
