22 Feb 2018

Primary schools prepare their own meals through cooks who are council employees. 

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said a number of suppliers were engaged by both the Department of Local Government Finance and Procurement Services together with Mogoditshane Sub District Council to supply various food commodities used in preparing the meals in Gabane/Mankgodi constituency primary schools. 

She further said she was not aware of any company that offered poor service in the supply of cooking oil.  Ms Tshireletso said a company by the name Bonanza Equipment entered into contract with the ministry for the supply of 128 000 cartoons of pure sunflower oil on June 2015. 

She said after commencement of the contract on July 2015, the supplier managed to deliver 74 953 out of 128 600 cartoons to all depots that were assigned to him.

She said on February 2016, the supplier requested for a price variation which was not acceded to by the ministry resulting in the amicable termination of the contract, hence the supply gap for cooking oil while the procurement of the replacement supplier was underway. 

Ms Tshiereletso said the ministry engaged the Food Relief Services Depot to procure sunflower oil through the district administration tender committee. 

She said the contract was awarded to Eagles Cliff which was still supplying the district while the ministry was still working on the recently appointed company, Unified Refineries, to commence countrywide supply for a period of three months. 

Gabane/Mmankgodi MP, Maj. Gen. Pius Mokgware had asked the minister to state the name of the company tasked with supplying the Gabane/Mmankgodi constituency primary schools with meals. 

Maj. Gen. Mokgware had also asked the minister if she was aware that the company offered poor service given that cooking oil was last supplied in January 2016. Ends