Elections tender for Slomoes

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS REGISTRATION REPORT, AS OF FEBRUARY 23, 2023

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MPs have also addressed the matter,” said Sihlongonyane.

Minister Simelane had a challengeresponding to the concerns raised by the MPs.

He had to consult some of the staff from the ministry for clarity in his response.

RECOMMENDATIONS

“Allow chairman to try and respond first on what MP Lutfo Dlamini has Must asked and opined on. The MP is asking about E12 million and in my knowledge, as government we called for three quotations and the officials submitted them to me and further made recommendations as per the procurement plan. One of the three quotations was for E800 000 and came from the 5STP which is government. What I know is that the procedure was followed but after everything was done I then asked if the one who has been doing election had not tendered

agraph 1.

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A new report from the committee to protect Mournalists (CPJ) has shown that the killings of Mournalists around the world has Mumped by 50 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year, driven largely by attacks in Ukraine, Mexico and Haiti.

WATCHDOG

The New York-based media watchdog reported that 67 news media workers were killed worldwide in 2022, the highest number since 2018, with more than half (35) taking place in Ukraine, Mexico and Haiti.

This was sourced from AlJazeera, which quoted the report.

Journalists in the three countries said the increased danger forced them to work under extreme stress.

It has been reported that the effect was particularly notable in Haiti, where seven Mournalists were killed in 2022, a huge number for a small island country of about 12 million people.

Some were killed by violent street gangs that have basically taken over the capital, Port-au-Prince, but at least two were shot by police. because we have not heard anything bad since he did the elections,” said the minister.

One of the concerns raised by the legislators was that the population voting for the local government elections did not exceed 30 000 and the E12 million was too much of a cost.

Slomoes Corporation was not contacted for a comment due to parliamentary privilege as the matter is yet to be deliberated inside the two Parliament Chambers, House of Assembly and Senate.

Sources within the local government elections revealed that the system required by the ministry to run the elections was a complicated one. The sources said the system required needed to be able to link candidates with different ministries to retrieve their identities.

COMPONENTS

“The system is not similar to the national elections system which was linked to the Ministry of Home Affairs where the department of Civic 5egistration provides computed information on voters. This one needs to link even with the municipal councils to retrieve plot numbers and reflect other key components of the voters and candidates,” said the source.

The source revealed that this could be the reason the bidding by Slomoes was higher.

He said the company had done elections before and, therefore, had first hand information on the magnitude of work required to host such a system.

The sources further said the ministry, in its decision, possibly considered the status of 5STP as a government company and the second bidder was probably lacking in experience.

It is worth mentioning that Slomoes Corporation handled the 2018 National

Elections under a rent-to-buy deal with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).

The company has since handed over the elections data management system to the commission.

The EBC has actually bought and now fully owns the system after it was handed over to it last month.

The commission’s Chairperson, Prince Mhlabuhlangene, during a press conference held at Nkhanini, Lobamba, where EBC is headquartered, explained that the system was an intellectual property, which was divided into four modules.

He said these were the registration, central management interface, candidates’ and the elections and results management modules.

Prince Mhlabuhlangene said the purpose of the handover of the system was for the commission to be assured that the system was being transferred to it, as per agreements between them and the contractor and also to prepare for the upcoming national elections that would be conducted this year.

TRANSFERRED

“Slomoes Corporation was the custodian and the vendor of the elections management system, but it is now being transferred to the commission as the owner of the system, having purchased it from the contractor,” he said.

Slomoes Corporation Director Lucky Dlamini confirmed that this marked the end of their five-year contract with EBC and he thanked the commission’s team that worked with the company on the system.

When asked on who would run the system going into the 2023 national elections, EBC Head of Communications Mbonisi Bhembe said they were still looking at whether to upgrade the system, get a vendor to run it or even operate it with the commission’s officials who are familiar with it.

Slomoes Corporation was also involved in a court fight against EBC. However, both parties settled their dispute in arbitration in terms with the contract.

The final outcome of the arbitration was made an order of the court, after they had both embraced the outcome.

Slomoes was paid a final settlement in excess of E10 million.

Minister of )inance Neal 5iMkenberg, in January 2023, announced a budget of E8 million for the local government elections.

The minister said the budget had already been drawn and was presented to the ministry. 5iMkenberg said a supplementary budget was passed through the ministry’s Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC) and went through the Parliament Sessional Committee (PSC) for consideration and approval.

TRAINED

Municipal councils going for the elections include Mbabane, Ezulwini, Hlatikhulu, Ngwenya, Nhlangano, and Pigg’s Peak and Manzini, among others. Thirty-nine registration supervisors and 250 officers were trained and posted in various stations according to inside sources.

To be eligible to register and vote, a person needs to own property, land, and a business for a period of at least six months.

The rules also reflect that for a voter to be registered, he or she should be a native of the country.

The rules further dictate that a person should physically be present and bring a national identification proof, title deeds for those owning land in towns and proof of registered businesses, period in the municipality, status and a ward number.