Modise needs to present R378m prison tender scandal documents

14 April 2016

I will write to the National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Zach Modise, requesting that he do the right thing and present to Parliament all documents related to a prison tender, worth R378 million, which was allegedly awarded to an ANC benefactor, Integritron. Failing which the DA will file an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to get to the bottom of this matter. This tender appears to be very dubious specifically considering that this contract should’ve been valued at R50 million.

To this end, I will also request that upon completion of the investigation into this scandal that a full report be tabled in Parliament so that members of the Committee on Justice and Correctional Services may satisfy themselves that all those implicated are appropriately dealt with.

This comes after it was reported that Mr Modise defied requests by the newly-established office of the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) to review the processes followed in awarding a contract for an inmate management system.

Integritron is part of the Sasstec group of companies that has benefited richly from government tenders awarded to its affiliates. SA Fence and Gate in particular has been awarded government tenders worth billions of rands by Eskom, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).

Just last year President Jacob Zuma delivered a veiled threat by stating “that if you invest in the ANC, you are wise. If you don’t invest in the ANC, your business is in danger.” This has unfortunately become the standard operating practice in the tender procurement process that has pervaded government’s procurement processes and needs to be effectively dealt with. This is in order to make tender processes more competitive, transparent and cost-effective for the ordinary taxpayer.

These revelations come at a time when reports are surfacing of human rights abuses at our correctional facilities across the country. Just earlier this week it was revealed that the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) did not have the capacity to investigate the deaths that occurred in Kgosi Mampuru II Prison which is a flagrant abdication of their statutory obligations. This money would have gone a long way to ameliorating the resource shortages faced by so many prisons across the country.

If Mr Modise fails to present all tender documentation to Parliament, the DA will make an application the DA will pursue an application in terms of PAIA to assess all documents related to this deal and whether or not this tender processes was competitive, fair and free from undue influence.

Issued by James Selfe, DA Shadow Minister of Correctional Services, 14 April 2016