07 Nov 2019

A storm had been brewing over a tender to supply 14 Kanye schools with eggs, chicken, fruits and vegetables.

    And things came to a head this week when entrepreneurs fell over each other in a bid to submit tender documents to supply schools, this time, with fruits and vegetables for next term.

Angry entrepreneurs barricaded the two KAA gates and threatened to enter by force at 7:30am, bringing everything to a standstill.

Service was in the process delayed as it wa difficult for some service providers to worm their way into the sub council premises.

An elderly entrepreneur, Ms Khumoyame Sebati said she had spent the previous night by the gate hoping to beat the queue, but had nothing to show for it.

She suggested the tender could have been decentralised to wards as the council often did with Ipelegeng workers in order to extend the opportunity to more Batswana.

Ms Sebati narrated that some desperate young people who had also spent the night by the gate hoping to get served first the next morning nearly came to blows over a place on the queue.

Another elderly entrepreneur Ms Kehalotse Mosalakatane accused KAA of failing to cater for people living with disabilities. Ms Mosalakatane, also living with a disability, said she spent the previous night lingering around council premises praying and hoping she would be among the first to be assisted the following morning to no avail.

Like any ‘able bodied’ person she decried that she was expected to jostle for an opportunity to get served.

Mr Ntebogang Mokalake said KAA described the situation as a clear, unequivocal emergency.

He said authorities, informed by multitudes carrying licences, should have seen the situation coming and planned accordingly to avoid a crisis. He suggested it could do residents a world of good if tenders could be awarded at ward level.

 A youthful entrepreneur, Ms Gaone Batlanang decried that some people who elbowed their way into the premises were public officers.

She said time had come for government to bar public officers from doing business with the employer. She said allowing officers to tender for jobs opened them up for corruption.

She argued that public officers were better off and should give other unemployed Batswana a chance.

Another entrepreneur who preferred to remain anonymous alleged that submission of tender bids was November 6 yet some were allowed to submit the day before.

She also alleged that the tender to supply schools with eggs and chicken were never advertised.

Ms Bonolo Ditau was, however, of the view that KAA officers rather than VDCs should be engaged to run the process and decentralise it to village wards.

Meanwhile, KAA senior assistant council secretary, Ms Thupayamodimo Okaile, apologised for the inconvenience caused and told entrepreneurs that her organisation would find a workable solution to address the challenge.

Ms Okaile promised that they would reschedule tender submissions for a day to be announced, but stressed that they would ensure the notice was given the widest publicity possible to enable many people to take advantage.

Ms Okaile further vowed to get to the bottom of allegations of corruption regarding tenders to supply schools in her area.

She further advised entrepreneurs to report any corruption to relevant authorities. ENDS