In the media

The Ministry of Education is to launch an investigation into rotting maize meal for its school feeding programme found at a school. 500 bags of maize meal had been stored at a secondary school and not delivered to the intended beneficiaries. The company Meal Management Services holds the contract for the supply and delivery of food to primary schools in six regions.

According to TIC, the total estimate of losses caused by the inefficiency and lack of transparency in public contract awarding procedures in 2004 amounts to CZK 32.4 billion (over $US 13, 6 billions). The main causes of this situation is political unwillingness to set a really efficient and enforceable framework for public procurement, the influencing of public contract awarding procedures by political representatives and lack of efficient controls.

The Gauteng Education Department dismissed five officials accused of theft, fraud and corruption. A senior departmental manager was fired for allegedly violating tendering and procurement processes and financial mismanagement. The department suspended a further three officials earlier this year after it was alerted of their alleged illegal practices in awarding tenders, mismanagement and not complying with policies that govern procurement.