07 Apr 2021

Parliament has learnt that the Ministry of Transport and Communications has floated and awarded five bitumen road construction tenders in the last two years under development budget.

Minister Thulagano Segokgo said the value of tenders awarded was over P1.9 billion and that of the five, two were awarded to Batswana owned companies at a cost of over P615 million.

He further stated that out of the five tenders awarded, one was challenged through the courts of law and reasons thereto included termination of the first contractor awarded as well as many subsequent litigations, which were still ongoing to date. 

Mr Segokgo stated that the contract was originally terminated on September 25 2018 and awarded to a different contractor on September 9, 2019.

Mr Segokgo also highlighted that since the matter was still pending with the judiciary system, it was difficult to say it was ruled in favour or against government.

He also said cost implications had not been calculated as the matter was still pending with courts, and stated however, that the cost of the supervising consultants to government was huge.

He was responding to a question from Molepolole North MP, Mr Oabile Regoeng, who had asked the minister to appraise Parliament on the number and value of bitumen road construction tenders floated and awarded in the last two years.

He also asked how many were awarded to Batswana owned companies and at what value as well as the number of tender award decisions challenged through the courts of law and the reasons thereto.

He also wanted to know how many were ruled in favour of and against government and what were the associated monetary cost implications. ENDS