BCX drops Limpopo IT tender case

Johannesburg, 26 Sept 2006

Business Connexion (BCX), one of the losing bidders in the controversial Limpopo hospital IT system tender, has withdrawn its case against the Department of Health, paving the way for the winning bidder to begin deploying the software.

Last month, BCX filed a formal application to review the tender process, saying there were "irregularities" in awarding the tender to local empowerment consortium LHC Health Solutions.

However, BCX now says it is not interested in pursuing the matter any further.

Reasons

"Basically we are very busy, with so many projects on the go; and I take the view that we should be focusing on doing something positive, not something negative," explains BCX CEO Peter Watt.

"We do not want to waste time and resources on a long, drawn-out legal process."

Watt adds that - aside from these reasons - he is also aware the province needs to have a hospital IT system put in, and says he does not want to delay that.

Limpopo Health Department spokesman Phuti Seloba says the department received no reasons from BCX for the withdrawal.

He says the systems are now ready to be implemented, and expects work to begin soon.

Senior legal counsel at BCX, Neil Haupt, said last month BCX would contest its disqualification at one of the stages. It has also emerged that BCX`s tender quotation was R121 million, which was R140 million lower than LHC`s.