Ndlovu briefed the media on the findings of the probe into the Mpumlanga laptop saga on Monday.
This was after the Provincial Department of Education purchased 22 Dell XPS 15 laptops and an HP printer in December 2024, each costing over R91,000.
A whistleblower alerted the premier to the issue in February.
“The procurement of the 22 laptops and a printer, at a cost of R91,482.50 each, appeared to be an anomaly,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said government is hoping to recover the money with the service provider being blacklisted.
“In terms of our recommendations, we intend to immediately recover from the service provider any financial losses incurred by the department regarding the procurement of these laptops.
“We will commence with the process of blacklisting the service provider on the national provisional treasury register for tender deporters as well as reporting same to SIDA. Service providers must know that in this province, we will not tolerate defrauding of our institutions.”
According to the findings, the procurement process was “materially flawed” and did not comply with Section 217 of the Constitution, nor Sections 38 and 45 of the PFMA.
“The process was not fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, or cost-effective. The supplier failed to comply with the purchase order and delivered laptops of lesser quality than what was approved and paid for,” said Premier Ndlovu.
The premier added that disciplinary actions will be taken against the officials who are implicated, including the Education Head of Department.
Institute disciplinary action against all implicated Officials, including the HOD, in line with the applicable prescripts, such as, but not limited to, the Public Service Act,1994, the Public Service Regulations, 2016, the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 and the Senior Management Handbook.
“As a result of the investigation, which raises questions regarding the governance of the department, it is necessary to conduct a governance review to establish the state of the Department.”
“Review the functionality of the Department, including its governance and accountability arrangements at all levels. Review the governance and accountability structures and processes, and identify how governance is exercised within the Department.
“Evaluate with reference to public service, prescript compliance with and the effectiveness of governance arrangements within the Department.”
A progress report on the implementation of all the recommendations is expected to be available on 30 June 2025.
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