Call to scrap Home Affairs ID contract

MPs claim R400m identification system was awarded without tender processes being followed

MPS have called on Home Affairs Minister Siyabonga Cwele to investigate his department’s R400-million identification system contract, saying it was dodgy.

They said they were concerned that a company was awarded the contract when they had raised red flags about it two-and-a-half months earlier.

The portfolio committee on home affairs told Cwele yesterday that the contract, with an international

company, had to be scrapped as processes were not followed and was in breach of tender processes.

This came after the committee also raised concern that it did not want the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants at Lindela to be jeopardised after the liquidation of Bosasa.

Cwele assured the committee that he had written to the liquidators, who were expected to respond to him by today about the situation at Lindela.

Members of the committee were not impressed that Home Affairs had allowed a contract that was allegedly concluded without due processes to be given to a company.

The chairperson of the committee, Hlomani Chauke, said the R400m contract had to be investigated.

Chauke said while the investigation continued, they didn’t want Home Affairs systems to collapse in the run-up to the elections.

Another ANC MP, Nomvuzo Shabalala, said it appeared a foregone conclusion that the company that was eventually given the tender would be awarded the contract. “It looks like there was one company that was earmarked.

“It looks like this was window-dressing,” she said, adding that out of the 15 companies that bid for the tender, the company was certain to be given the contract.

Haniff Hoosen of the DA also called for an investigation into the R400m contract for the identification system.

“When you have the bid evaluation committee you assume they have qualifications, but none of those people picked up that none of two companies (main contractor and sub-contractor) qualified for the tender.

“I will also recommend that this contract be investigated,” said Hoosen.

Thulani Mavuso, the acting director-general in the Department of Home Affairs, said they would welcome an investigation into the contract.

He said they fully backed the recommendations by the committee to get to the bottom of the contract, and those who were behind the awarding of the tender.

Mavuso said that despite the contract being probed, they wanted to ensure the department’s identification system remained intact.

MPs wanted to ensure that the Home Affairs identification system was not compromised in any way as it contained sensitive information about millions of South Africans.

Some of the key departments including the police, justice and the banks also rely on this system for data.