It is not enough for the government to simply announce the names of people or companies who received tenders during and because of COVID-19.
TLU SA says the government should instead ask for how long the phenomenon of nepotism and cadre preference in terms of tender practices have been going on.
“It is just as important to ensure that the process of awarding tenders is transparent, as it is to know who finally receives these tenders,” says Mr Louis Meintjes, the president of TLU SA. “The ANC’s long history of tender corruption completely ruined South Africans trust in the process.”
TLU SA demands the establishment of a tender council in each government department, which awards government projects according to acceptable and transparent procedures. The panel should consist of at least three members of opposition parties to ensure the ANC does not give tenders to family, friends and business partners.
The tender process should be completely transparent from the announcement and advertisement for a specific tender, up to the submission and granting of it. The criteria for giving a tender, as well as the requirements for a person or company to take part in the process successfully, should appear in the advertisement.
The view that tenders should be awarded on the grounds of race should come to an end immediately. Skill and the ability to complete the project should be the only criteria when awarding a tender.
South Africa does not have the luxury to waste money on inflated and wrongfully awarded tenders since the economy is in ruins.
“The way the South African government awarded tenders up to now, creates the illusion that the solution to ending tender corruption is to simply go public with the names of individuals or companies who received tenders,” says Mr Meintjes. “Announcements does not guarantee transparency.”
TLU SA bevraagteken bekendmaking van tenders as oplossing vir bedrog
Dit is vir TLU SA nie genoeg dat die maatskappye wat tydens en spesifiek as gevolg van COVID-19 tenders ontvang het, se name bekend gemaak word nie. Die regering behoort eerder te vra hoe lank die verskynsel van nepotisme en kaderbevoordeling reeds aan die gang is wanneer dit kom by tenderpraktyke.
“Dit is nie net van belang om te weet aan wie tenders toegeken word nie, maar ook hoe deursigtig die proses van toekenning is,” sê mnr. Louis Meintjes, die president van TLU SA. “Die ANC het ‘n lang geskiedenis van tenderbedrog en het Suid-Afrika se vertroue in die proses heeltemal vernietig.”
TLU SA eis dat elke staatsdepartement ‘n tenderraad het wat staatsprojekte volgens aanvaarbare en deursigtige prosedures toeken. Die raad moet uit ten minste drie lede van opposisiepartye bestaan om te verseker dat die ANC nie verder tenders aan familie, vriende en vennote toeken nie.
Die tenderprosedure moet van die bekendmaking en advertensie van ‘n spesifieke tender, tot by die indiening en toekenning daarvan deur die tenderraad totaal deursigtig wees. Die kriteria vir die toekenning van ‘n tender, asook die vereistes waaraan die persoon of maatskappy wat suksesvol wil tender, moet ook in die advertensie bekendgemaak word.
Die uitgangspunt dat tenders op rasgronde toegeken behoort te word, moet onmiddellik gestaak te word. Kundigheid en die vermoë om die projek suksesvol uit te voer, moet die enigste kriteria wees in die toekenning van ‘n tender.
Die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie is geruïneer en die land beskik hoegenaamd nie oor die vermoë om geld te verspil op tenders wat opgeblaas of verkeerd toegeken word nie.
“Die wyse hoe daar tot op hede in Suid-Afrika met tenders omgegaan is, skep die illusie dat dit aanvaarbaar is om bloot bekend te maak watter individue en organisasies tenders ontvang en dat dit tenderbedrog die hok sal slaan,” sê mnr. Meintjes. “Bekendmaking waarborg geensins deursigtigheid nie.”
