SIONARY INVESTMENTS AWARDED E27.9M EBC TENDER

MBABANE – Sionary Investments has been awarded the over E27.9 million tender for the Information Technology (IT) system upgrade, to be used in the upcoming national elections.

Sionary Investments, a woman led company, was yesterday announced by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Chairperson, Prince Mhlabuhlangene Dlamini, to have won the tender to provide the IT system in the upcoming elections. Dlamini announced that the company, whose director is Nonjabuliso Dlamini, came out number one in the tendering process, which had about 15 contestants. He said Sionary Investments would be the company to host EBC in the running of the elections in terms of the IT support.

He noted that the award was not made by the EBC but the Government Tender Board. He said this development proved that the company, which had 20 years experience in the IT industry, showed competency and compliance during the tendering process, hence it came out tops. Dlamini said as the EBC, they were confident in the company that it would run the elections accordingly, especially in the IT space. He said the company was not bringing new systems and equipment but would be upgrading the already available systems. “What the EBC was doing this time around was an upgrade as opposed to acquisition of a new system all together,” he said. He said government went into the market in a form of tendering process, where competent bidders were invited to participate on the basis of the upgrade specifications provided.

Impressive

“Indeed we had quite an impressive turnout of submissions because behind every open tendering process is the need to derive maximum value and value for money,” he said. He said the tendering processes were done in compliance with the procurement regulations of the country. The chairperson dispelled any misconceptions that may have been there or conflicting information to the effect that the EBC had not secured a vendor to provide IT solutions. Dlamini said Sionary Investments, an Eswatini-owned entity, went through the open tender process and were awarded the tender.  

He recalled that in the past, the EBC reported that the entire elections management system was handed over to them from the previous vendor.
Slomoes Corporation handed over the elections management system data to the EBC over a month ago. Slomoes was awarded a tender to supply the commission with rent-to-buy equipment to host the 2018 national elections and the commission has actually bought and now fully owns the system.
Prince Mhlabuhlangene said the purpose of the handover of the system was for the commission to be assured that the system was being transferred to it as per agreements between it and the contractor and also to prepare for the upcoming national elections that would be conducted this year.

In a previous press conference, Dlamini said they had a good working relationship with the previous vendor (Slomoes Corporation). He noted that every contract had its elapsing period and, indeed, the contract with Slomoes came to an end. The chairperson mentioned that a key feature of the previous elections’ vendor system was that it was customised. He said that alone explained the reality of what would then have to follow in the event that an upgrade was necessary.

“Ordinarily, you would rather use the same vendor by presumption, who probably would have been the ones to customise the initial system,” he said.
Dlamini said for the sake of transparency, it then became proper that the said route could not be taken, notwithstanding the principle that would have justified engaging the previous vendor.

Risk

He said the EBC and government found it better to take the risk and bring in a new vendor, compared to going back to the vendor that was providing the IT systems support during the previous elections. He said the reason they chose that route was because the previous vendor had a system that was limited to it in a way that it could only be used by the provider (vendor) alone.  Dlamini congratulated the new vendor for having been successful in the tendering processes. He said the country as whole was confident in the company.

He acknowledged the ministries of Finance, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP) for being with EBC in the entire process. He also appreciated the EBC secretariat for working tireless to this far. On the progress of the elections, Dlamini noted that the commission was making an impressive progress, such that it had completed the workshop for the community leaders in all the four regions of the country. He said they were now about to take the route to broadcast their education platforms in the media. He said such would be done till the last day before the elections. Dlamini said elections would take place right away after having been blessed by the King. He said otherwise, the commission was ready to commence the registration processes right away, as that would be an indication that indeed the elections had started.  

Appreciated

Sionary Investments Business Development Manager Makhosemphi Dlamini appreciated the government for entrusting them to handle such a huge task.He said they were ready to take up the task given to them, till the end. He noted that inasmuch as they may seem young in age, they were capable as they possessed several skills in the IT sector. He noted that they had more than 20 years experience in the IT space.

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