The ANC in Mpumalanga has joined growing public criticism of a controversial R2-million laptop deal under investigation by premier Mandla Ndlovu’s office.
This follows revelations that the provincial education department paid R91 482.50 for each of the 22 laptops meant for office-based staff — sparking outrage in the legislature and among taxpayers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, ANC provincial secretary Muzi Chirwa said the ruling party welcomed and supported the premier’s decision to investigate the transaction.
“This transaction, whose details were exposed in an answer to a question in the provincial legislature, has caused a serious public outcry, and the people of the country reasonably suspect that the principles of public procurement articulated in Section 217 of the constitution, especially that of cost-effectiveness, could have been violated or not been upheld,” Chirwa said.
He said the ANC believed the probe would be concluded soon and the public would be “brought into confidence” regarding the outcomes.
Deployees urged to respect public purse
“The ANC demands that all deployees and public servants respect the public purse and utilise it prudently and in the best interest of our citizens, moreover now when the country’s public resource base has shrunk,” Chirwa said.
He added that the ANC in Mpumalanga was “opposed to all forms of corruption and malfeasance”.
Ndlovu has confirmed that the probe is being handled by the integrity management unit in his office and is nearing completion.
In a media statement on Monday, Ndlovu said the investigation was already at an advanced stage and aimed to establish the facts, verify documents, and test compliance with relevant laws.
“Because of the seriousness of this issue, once the investigation is finalised next week, we will inform the public,” said Ndlovu.
“In the interest of fair administrative justice, I urge you all to allow the investigation to be finalised without undue pressure.”
He said the probe reflected his administration’s commitment to good governance, as outlined in the medium-term development plan.
“The 7th administration is guided by the principles of good governance to ensure that the acquisition of services by the state is based on sound financial grounds,” said Ndlovu.
MEC distances herself
Education MEC Cathy Dlamini has distanced herself from the procurement, saying she was not a beneficiary and still uses a second-hand laptop.
Dlamini added that the items were purchased through a State Information Technology Agency panel of service providers, not directly by her department.
Provincial education spokesperson Jasper Zwane said: “It must be emphasised that the MEC was not involved in the procurement process at any stage, nor did she receive any of the laptops in question.
“To implicate her or her office in this matter is both misleading and unjust.”
The investigation was triggered by a question from EFF member of the provincial legislature Ntsako Mkhabela, who demanded to know how the department justified spending over R90 000 on a single device.
The outcome of the investigation is expected to be made public next week.
