The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) and National Treasury to investigate alleged misconduct in the NSFAS laptop tender worth R2,5 billion.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) presented what the DA calls alarming allegations to Parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education, science and technology and the select committee on education and technology, sports, arts and culture.
Among Nehawu’s allegations since the coronavirus lockdown was announced is that hundreds of students have still not received the promised assistance from government in the form of mobile devices to enable them to continue their studies from home.
Portfolio committee on higher education, science and technology chairperson Philly Mapulane says: ” We have expressed our strong displeasure about the delays in the procurement of these laptops for the students. It has been four months since the minister made that announcement in April that all the students would be receiving their laptops and to date they have not been delivered. We are extremely worried about the allegations that we are receiving that there seems to be some undue influence in the procurement process. The allegations are to the effect that there is an attempt to manipulate the process and to get it finally aborted so that it is not awarded at this stage.
“So we don’t want to deal with another Covid-19 scandal. So we are appealing to the administrator of NFSAS, Dr Carolissen, to finalise the process and to make sure that there is no undue influence in the process.”
The DA says it will also write to the Director-General of DHET to release the report on the tender.
Alleged corruption in tender process of laptops for NSFAS students :
