R39 million for internet connectivity! DA calls for SIU, Hawks probe

26 January 2022

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and Hawks to launch a probe into the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Arts and Culture’s (DoAC) awarding of a three year, R39 million contract to Emalangeni Technologies for internet connectivity in libraries in the province.

The call comes after the DA noted that there has been a R15 million increase in the contract value compared to the current three-year contract which is due to expire shortly.

The DA regards the value of this contract as outrageous. The monthly cost is expected to be just over R1 million over a period of 36 months.

This is ridiculous when there are internet service providers that charge R399 per month for uncapped data. The amount paid to this company is probably enough to supply internet connectivity to every library in the country.

The DA’s concern also comes after the Auditor-General (AG) consistently red-flagged KZN’s DoAC for being unable to prove that all KZN libraries have internet connection. This is just one of the many reasons why the Department is yet to receive a clean audit.

The DA expects Arts and Culture MEC, Hlengiwe Mavimbela, to answer the following questions;

- Why has her Department increased the library internet budget by R15 million?

- Which KZN libraries will have access to internet, particularly in rural areas?

- What type of connectivity will be provided to libraries and;

- How will this internet connectivity be managed and controlled?

The DA has, on numerous occasions, called on KZN Premier, Sihle Zikalala, to fire MEC Mavimbela as a result of ongoing scandals which point to fraud and corruption.

One of these includes earlier payments to the value of R18 million to Telkom for library internet services, without following tender processes and while libraries did not receive a full service for six months.

At the time, the DoAC paid Telkom the full amount despite only librarians having internet access - due to the web-based library loan system - and while library users had no public access to the internet for half of the year.

The A-G’s 2021/22 audit report also found more than R9 million in Irregular Expenditure and a further R1.3 million as Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure. Yet, to date, the MEC has remained silent on whether any consequence management will be taken as a result of this.

The DA in KZN remains committed to rooting out corruption within the DoAC in a bid to ensure fairness and transparency when it comes to expenses.

We reiterate our call to the Premier to immediately remove MEC Mavimbela. Failing this, he must be held accountable for her lack of commitment in ensuring clean audits and proper services to our communities.

Issued by Bradley Singh, DA KZN Spokesperson on Arts and Culture, 26 January 2022