29 Jan 2019

Residents of Gweta in the Nata/Gweta constituency are not happy with the awarding of tenders at Tutume Sub-district Council.

Speaking in a kgotla meeting addressed by area MP, Mr Polson Majaga, on January 28, residents alleged that companies from outside their area had consistently been awarded tenders, even of goods that could be supplied by residents.

One resident, Mr Anthony Sebobile said the number of registered supplies companies in their areas stood at more than 35, some of which were owned by young people but they seldom won tenders in their area.

“Despite having registered companies and even participating in tendering processes, none of our companies are awarded tenders in the village,” he alleged.

Upon enquiring on the tendering process and its validity, Mr Sebobile said they were often told that their pricing was high.

Instead of eliminating them through the tendering processes, Mr Sebobile suggested that authorities should sensitise them about the nitty-gritties of tendering so that they could do better next time.

“We too are also in business, therefore we need to participate in the provision of services in our locality,” he said.

Furthermore, residents noted that the situation was compounded by the permission to allow public officers to own companies while still holding offices. 

He suspected that the concerned officers passed tendering intricacies to their friends and colleagues who own businesses.

However, MP Majaga said issues of maladministration when it came to allotting of tenders had been going on for a while now.

He reminisced that just recently they requested public offices through the deputy district commissioner’s office to provide them with the latest records on awarded tenders but they failed to furnish the MP’s office with that information.

The MP said he was aware of cases where an individual would be awarded more than 10 tenders covering different constituencies.

Mr Majaga therefore said it was imperative for officers to put the needs of people they servd ahead of their personal interests and avoid corrupt practices.

He thus said they would call for action to be taken against officers who were failing to perform their work in a transparent manner.

On other issues, the MP said the implementation of projects in the constituency was poor noting that even projects which had funds were still far behind schedule while others had not yet started.

This, he said, was a setback in that by March 31 funds which would not have been used would be returned to the government hence living their constituency undeveloped. ENDs