Sunday Times Reveals Preliminary Sekunjalo Tender Findings

The Sunday Times today revealed that the Public Protector's preliminary investigations and findings into the R800 million Sekunjalo Tender debacle has confirmed what Feike has been saying for months now. That the Minister of Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, is simply unfit to hold public office.


According to the Sunday Times,

"The preliminary report, titled "My Way or No Sea Patrols", investigated the "irregular" awarding of an R800-million tender two years ago to Sekunjalo Marine Services Consortium, led by businessman Iqbal Survé.

The report, which will be made public on Thursday, says:

• The awarding of the contract - to manage the department's fleet of research and patrol ships - to Sekunjalo Marine Services Consortium was improper and constituted maladministration;

• The tender award process showed evidence of collusive tendering and/or bid rigging by the Sekunjalo consortium; and

• The department awarded the contract, in November 2011, without dealing with concerns raised by its own senior legal counsel and independent auditors.

The report urges Zuma to consider disciplinary action against Joemat-Pettersson and says the department should investigate the "suspicious" conduct of a senior official and member of the bid adjudication committee."

We now await the final report, which should be published on Thursday according to the Sunday Times.