Question NW4029 to the Minister of Communications
18 December 2015 - NW4029
Van Damme, Ms PT to ask the Minister of Communications
(1) Whether the contracts awarded by the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to certain companies (names furnished) were put out to tender; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the names of the companies that submitted bids for the tenders and (b) what are the further relevant details of each tender; (2) whether any written submissions were received by the SABC before the specified contracts were awarded; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details of the written submissions that were received; (3) whether the SABC Board of Directors approved the final amounts offered to the specified companies in the specified contracts; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of each approval; (4) whether the awarding of the specified contracts involved any deviation from the SABC’s tender procedures; if not, what is her department’s position in this regard; if so, (5) whether any form of approval was sought from the SABC Board of Directors for said deviations; if not, (a) why not and (b) on what statutory provisions did the SABC’s (i) Chief Operating Officer and (ii) Chief Financial Officer rely to deviate from the SABC’s tender procedures; if so, on what date was the deviation in the SABC’s tender procedures (aa) approved and (bb) communicated to the (aaa) National Treasury and (bbb) Auditor-General in line with Treasury regulations? NW4897E
Reply:
(1) The contracts awarded to the companies were not put to tender. A deviation from tender processes in terms of the SABC policies was used to appoint them because of the need for specialised skills on one hand and for continuity on the other hand.
(a) N/A
(b) N/A
(2) Written submissions were received from the companies responding to the needs of the SABC.
(3) The approval of the amounts offered was in terms of the Delegation of Authority Framework. The amount of the awards were below the threshold necessitating Board approval.
(4) The contracts were awarded as a result of a deviation process. The deviation was in terms of an approved Delegation of Authority Framework (DAF).
(5) (a) As per the DAF, the amount of the awards were below the threshold necessitating Board approval.
(b) PFMA section 51(1)(a) (i), (iii) & (iv) , 51(1)(b)(ii) , 51(1)(c) read together with the DAF.
(aa) Deviations were approved on 9/12/2014, 2/3/2015 & 1/10/2015
(aaa) &(bbb) There is no requirement for the SABC to report this.
MR N MUNZHELELE
[ACTING] DIRECTOR GENERAL
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
DATE:
MS AF MUTHAMBI, MP
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS
DATE: