The controversial tender for the supply of computers to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which excludes South African suppliers, will remain unchanged, the organisation has said.
The multimillion-rand tender (tender number IEC/IT-08/2002) which sparked the controversy, limits bidders to companies that can claim a 2% global market share.
Following protests at a tender briefing on 14 January, the IEC issued a notice, posted on its Web site, which states: "The tender is to continue as originally published. There will be no amendments."
Mustek director Willem Viviers slammed the move. "We feel it is unfair because there is no difference between our products and the products manufactured overseas. We are a South African company and we adhere to all the requirements of government and the SA Bureau of Standards. Yet we do not benefit from this.
"I just feel that local manufacturers are not treated well."
According to a report in Business Day, Proudly South African has already lodged a complaint with the IEC. CEO Martin Feinstein was quoted as saying the bias will have a profound impact on the local industry and makes a mockery of government`s commitment to job creation.
He said the state should set technical and cost criteria to identify the best products without excluding local manufacturers.
IEC CIO Libisi Maphanga reportedly said the decision was justified because hardware reliability was crucial during elections, demanding world-class products.
The State IT Agency and the IEC were asked to comment but had not done so by the time of publication.
In a separate tender to supply 90 computers for the Ekurhuleni municipality, local manufacturers were also excluded as the tender specifies Dell or Compaq models.
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