SUPPLIER STORMS PS’S OFFICE OVER QUESTIONABLE E5.4 MILLION TENDER

MBABANE –A contentious issue has risen in the Ministry of Education and Training, where a supplier delivered goods to government without following the established procurement process.

The Acting Principal Secretary (PS) in the ministry, Nanikie Mnisi, has refused to make payment of over E5.4 million for two marquee tents supplied on August 16, 2024, until authorised by the Attorney General’s Office.This has led to a serious confrontation between Mnisi and the supplier, Lungile Ndzimandze of Mcex Investments.  The two have had verbal confrontations publicly and the situation between them has taken a dramatic turn.  Doors are being banged, and ministry security has even gotten involved.

Demanded

A dramatic scene unfolded in Mnisi’s office at the interministerial building last Tuesday, when  the supplier, Ndzimandze suddenly stormed in, disrupting a meeting and demanded her money. The tension escalated to a point where Mnisi had to call in security to have Ndzimandze removed, bringing the meeting to an abrupt halt. This intense confrontation was witnessed by a reporter investigating the same issue within the ministry. Meanwhile, Ndzimandze’s supply of goods without the required government documents has turned the ministry upside down, as it has also opened up the issue of how these tenders are being given to companies. Ndzimandze supplied these goods without going through the proper government procurement process, which clearly outlines that suppliers must tender for goods and deliver according to the order placed.

Instead, Ndzimandze alleged that she was invited through a letter by the ministry to supply the two marquees worth E5.4million. She, however, did not divulge who signed the invitation letter and did not provide it to this publication. In an interview, Acting PS Nanikie Mnisi, said she is having difficulty honouring Ndzimandze’s company invoice because she believes the government procurement process was not followed, and this raised concerns about the integrity of the procurement process for the marquees.  Worth noting is that  when this procurement was done the principal secretary at the time was Bheki Gama, who is currently on sick leave. As the Acting PS, Mnisi says she is steadfast in her commitment to upholding the law and ensuring transparency in government transactions. Her gripe stems from the fact that Ndzimandze does not have a the government order and the goods supplied were not sourced through the tendering process.

Consequences

“She has a document signed by PS  Bheki Gama on the goods and not a government order, yet the government procurement process clearly outlines that suppliers must tender for goods and deliver according to the order placed. Deviations from this process can lead to serious consequences,” she said in an interview. The Times SUNDAY has seen a contract document on the goods, which Ndzimandze is using as the basis of supplying the goods. The document, titled Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was allegedly signed by Gama, the substantive PS. Gama is currently on sick leave, which has kept him at home for a lengthy period of time. In the MoU, Gama did not use a pen to sign it off but instead allegedly apexed his thumb print for the signature. Information sourced from the ministry alleged that Gama used the thumb print because of his illness, which allegedly affected his handwriting. However, this could not be verified as this publication could not get hold of PS Gama or his family.

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