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Controversy shrouds R800m e-learning tender

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb's news editor.
Johannesburg, 28 Sept 2016
The DA is calling for an investigation into how the Gauteng Department of Education acquired some e-learning equipment.
The DA is calling for an investigation into how the Gauteng Department of Education acquired some e-learning equipment.

Controversy has shrouded the Gauteng Department of Education's (GDE's) R800 million e-learning tender amid accusations that the awarding of the tender was rigged.

Opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), alleges there were some irregularities about the awarding of the tender and is calling for an investigation into how the department acquired some e-learning equipment.

However, the department has rubbished the claims, saying it is a ploy by the opposition party to tarnish the image of the GDE.

Last year, the GDE began the switch from chalkboards to smartboards by equipping Gauteng schools with interactive boards, as well as providing high-speed broadband connectivity, laptops, e-content and tablets to grade 12 learners.

The department purchased 1 800 3D LED interactive boards, which were installed in grade 12 classrooms in 377 schools across the province.

This "paperless classroom" project saw last year's matric learners move from using traditional learning tools to smartboards and receive tablet devices to better their learning experience. According to the department, it distributed 64 000 tablets to grade 12 learners in 2015.

"The DA has received reliable information that the Gauteng education department may have rigged tender processes to favour a company to provide schools with smartboards," says Khume Ramulifho, DA Gauteng shadow MEC for education.

"According to sources, a company offering superior smartboards at a tenth of the price was denied the opportunity to tender despite its significant market share in South Africa because this tender was never advertised."

Ramulifho adds the department invested R800 million in e-learning in the 2015/16 financial year, which was projected to escalate to over R2 billion.

"The Gauteng Department of Education notes with concern, the allegations contained in the DA statement that the department rigged the tender process on the ICT programme," the GDE says in a statement.

"Further, that a so-called service provider could have delivered the product at tenth of the value. We are further concerned about the DA's tactic of raising issues in the media and claiming to ask the MEC questions later. We view this as deliberate attempt to cast aspersions and taint the image of the department.

"We assure the people of Gauteng that the tender process for the ICT programme is above board and we have obtained value for money from the suppliers. We will await the DA's questions to the MEC as they claim in their statement."

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