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NDMA TIGHTENS SCREWS ON COVID-19 TENDERS

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MBABANE – The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has strengthened its systems to stop politicians and civil servants from participating in COVID-19 tenders. 

This was said by the Chief Executive Officer of NDMA, Russell Dlamini, in response to allegations made by Members of Parliament (MPs) that politicians  were helping themselves to COVID-19 funds through tenders. 

The politicians are said to be using relatives to set up new companies and then tender to be awarded contracts, in particular for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). 

Dlamini said these were not mere allegations as in the past, it had been revealed that civil servants and politicians were involved in getting some of the tenders. He said, however, now that there was an indemnity form, which all suppliers had to sign, committing that they were not civil servants or politicians, they hoped all would adhere to it. 

Breach 

He said it would be a breach of contract if some of the suppliers were civil servants or politicians. 

He said as previously reported, there was a nurse who was found to be supplying food at the Lubombo Referral Hospital. 

Another incident listed was that of a politician allowed whose establishment was  used to accommodate suspected COVID-19 patients. 

At that time, it was reported that some of the other hotel owners did not want their facilities to be used for such cases and the politician offered her facility.     

It was stated that lessons had been learnt from the emergency procurement process and had been incorporated into NDMA procedures. 

An example of this was that companies interested in doing business with NDMA had to sign the indemnity form to ensure that none of their directors were civil servants or politicians as required by the Public Procurement Act 2011 Section 60 (2). The DPM, when responding to the allegations by the MPs said; “Ok, first I don’t know of any member of the Executive who is involved in a COVID-19 procurement tender. Secondly, you asked what guarantees do I have that politicians and civil servants are excluded from these dealings? First, politicians and civil servants are expected to know the law that guides public procurement. In this regard we don’t expect anyone from these categories to infringe the laws they make and supervise. This is a normal societal expectation. Secondly, we use the company Form J which has to be submitted with any tender application of those entities that have been shortlisted for consideration to supply. Form J is, therefore, one of the ways we can know who the company directors are. Thirdly, there is a declaration form that directors have to sign or one director has to sign on behalf of the other directors. If there are suspicions that there may be members of the Executive and or civil servants who have been awarded tenders illegally, let me know.”

POLITICIANS IMPLICATED

Scathing allegations have been made against politicians who are reported to be helping themselves to COVID-19 funds through tenders. 

The allegations come after the Deputy Prime Minister, Themba Masuku, informed Members of Parliament (MPs) that companies interested in doing business with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), had to sign indemnity forms. 

In this regard, Masuku said the companies signed the indemnity forms to ensure that none of their directors were public servants or politicians as required by the Public Procurement Act 2011, under Section 60 (2).

However, some MPs are of the view that the tenders have been awarded to high ranking politicians and civil servants. 

Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi said many of the tenders were with the very same people whom the DPM said they were not being awarded to. He did not name these companies. 

Difference 

He alleged that the only difference was that the companies were not in the names of the politicians or civil servants. 

“For example, I can register the company in my wife’s name and supply government which will in turn pay me,” said Buthelezi. He alleged that many of the COVID-19 tenders were with the people whom government was saying they should not be awarded to.               

“The only difference is that the companies are not registered in the names of the politicians or government employees,” he said.  

According to the DPM, to date, items worth more than E50 million had been delivered by a total of 35 suppliers, who were selected from 85 who tendered or expressed interest in supplying, using criteria based on competence and pricing. Another MP, who alleged that there was corruption in the awarding of the tenders to high ranking politicians was Mhlume Constituency MP Victor Malambe. 

He alleged that there were some politicians who had companies that supplied government with PPE. Malambe alleged that what was even more puzzling was that the companies were fairly new, which showed that the politicians and civil servants had  registered  them in recent months using the names of their relatives. 

Preference 

He said these new companies were being given preference over the old ones. 

“What criteria did they use to overlook a long established company compared to one that has been set up in 2020 and what record do they have?” asked Malambe.     

He alleged that some of the politicians and civil servants had recently resigned from some of the companies which had been awarded the tenders. 

“This is just a simple process; just look at the company directors and look at the number of times the people who have recently resigned,” said Malambe.     

He said with procurement, one considered the names of the people who had recently resigned, yet the company was still tendering. 

“It’s clear that they resign just to try and comply with the law, but it is clear that it is just temporary,” he added. 

The MP said it was clear that some of the top people were involved, because in Eswatini there were no reports of people found to be corrupt in the COVID-19 tenders. 

Accountable 

“In this country it is too quiet, no one is being accountable for these funds. They are too quiet, that is why there are rumours of politicians being involved in these companies,” he alleged. 

He said some of the companies, when they checked them, they discovered that they were six days old. Another MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity said there were rumours that some of the politicians had inside information about what was needed to be supplied and they would then give the specific information to those who were the faces of the company.  The MP said government needed to give a full breakdown of the company names, the directors and each and every goods/services and they had supplied.  The DPM had reported that in recognising the scale of the emergency, NDMA was required to procure on behalf of government all COVID-19-related goods and services. 

He said a procurement team composed of procurement officers from the Ministry of Health and NDMA was speedily assembled.

He said the Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ESPPRA), was requested to provide advice on existing procurement laws to ensure that the law was followed. 

He added that a letter authorising NDMA to procure using the approved deviation section, was issued to NDMA by ESPPRA. 

Masuku said government made sure that the emergency situation was not taken advantage of through corrupt practices.

The total commitments towards the COVID -19 emergency, according to government, have been around E600 million. Of the total, commitment of E419 362340 has been used as of October 13, 2020. Of this money, about E140 302 970 came from government and E233 896 135 from development partners. 

Civil society organisations pumped in E14 610 000, the private sector E37 495 885 and the Kirsh Foundation E188 000 000, which amounts to a total of E614 140763. 

Meanwhile, in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has set up a ministerial committee to investigate alleged corruption in State tenders in the fight against the coronavirus, as the government faces criticism over its response to the pandemic. Reports of suspect deals between government officials and businesses providing medical equipment, as well as food aid parcels to the poor, have sparked outrage in South Africa, where more than half a million cases of COVID-19 make it the fifth highest country in the world.

As a result, some of the politicians have been fired over the PPE mess.

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