High Court scraps 'shambolic' R1bn tender at SANParks

[Richprins]

A major IT tender irregularly awarded to Gijima has been nullified by the high court. More to follow:

https://www.news24.com/fin24/companies/ ... s-20250417

[Lisbeth]

You can read about it here: https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAGPPHC/2025/325.pdf

[Richprins]

Lis!

[Richprins]

Here we go:


Court sets aside R1bn SANParks contract awarded to Gijima
Judge says holding firm to less stringent standard than other bidders ‘stinks to the high heavens’
22 APRIL 2025 - 20:20

The Pretoria high court has reviewed and set aside a decision by SA National Parks (SANParks) to award a tender worth almost R1bn that would have seen Gijima Holdings provide SANParks with information and communication technology (ICT) services for 10 years.

The court ordered that Datacentrix, the incumbent provider, continue to deliver the services to SANParks for 12 months from the date of judgment on the same terms and conditions as set out in the previous agreement, which was concluded in February 2019 and expired in April 2024.


The court also said it was just and equitable to remit the matter to SANParks for reconsideration of the tender.

Datacentrix brought the review application before the court in April last year after SANParks had awarded the 10-year tender to Gijima.

The tender was for the outsourcing of SANParks ICT services, including its network services, telephony services, internet, cloud and cybersecurity services and the underlying infrastructure within the 22 national parks under SANParks’ management and control.

The tender was advertised in September 2023 and was awarded to Gijima in February 2024.

Judge Mandlekosi Motha, in a judgment passed on April 11, described the case as a “titanic battle” for the SANParks tender, worth almost R1bn.

“Blissfully unaware of this existential threat are the lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros and cheetahs, to name but a few affected animals. I am convinced that if these animals had a say in the matter, no-one would be before this court,” Motha said.

In September last year, the Pretoria high court dismissed the Datacentrix’s request to review and set aside the request for bids relating to the tender, saying that application had not been brought within 180 days.


However, Motha ruled that while the deadline to request a review of the request for bids had expired, a review of the decision to award Gijima the tender was made well within 180 days.

The reason for the review was that Gijima failed to submit annual financial statements for the June 2022 financial year and submitted audited financial statements only for the two preceding financial years (June 2021 and June 2020).

Datacentrix said Gijima ought therefore to have been disqualified from the tender evaluation process for failure to satisfy the minimum mandatory conditions of tender.

Motha agreed that Gijima’s had failed to comply with the requirement of three years audited or independently reviewed annual financial statements.

“What is good for the goose is good for the gander. How is it that Gijima was held to a different standard? This is nothing short of disgraceful conduct,” Motha said.

Motha said SANParks having come to court and insisting that just one audited financial statement was required “stinks to the high heavens” and was totally at variance with the constitutional precepts of fairness and equity.

He said the decision to award the tender to Gijima was not in keeping with the dictates of the constitution, and it would not be far off the mark to characterise the tender process as being shambolic.


“Ultimately, this entire tender process was not in accordance with a tender process that is fair, equitable, transparent and competitive.”

TimesLIVE

https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/natio ... e_vignette

[Richprins]

Robert Gumede, of Gijima, is a major ANC funder and became obscenely rich off tenders. As one comes into Nelspruit one can see his huge vulgar white mansion on top of one of the hills in town.

[Lisbeth]

Incredible how people dare to make criminal deals in broad daylight

Who is the CEO of SANParks these days and also the CFO?