Edu-Solutions: Investigations at “advanced stage”

The Public Protector has confirmed that the DA’s complaint into Limpopo tender irregularities involving Edusolutions is at an advanced stage. This is according to a letter we have received from the Public Protector confirming this.

The DA laid the complaint in March 2011 with the Public Protector against Edu-Solutions and Limpopo’s provincial department of education for an irregular contract relating to the provision of Learner Teacher Support Material.

Early last year, the DA became aware that the provincial department of education awarded a tender to Edu-Solutions without the knowledge or recommendations of the adjudication and evaluation committees. In this tender, the department could have saved over R90 million had it sourced this stationery straight from the supplier. But the fact that the middle-man, Edu-Solutions, was used raised the financial costs of this tender procurement – a clear violation of the Public Finance Management Act.

The Public Protector further confirmed that National Treasury also conducted its own investigations into this saga and has already prepared 3 reports. Millions of Limpopo’s public money has been wasted because of acute financial mismanagement and tender-for-pals in this department.  This has effectively denied our learners their right to education as seen in the current Limpopo textbook crisis.

The DA is keenly waiting for the Public Protector’s final report and if “any wrong doing is found against any official of the department, we will be calling for criminal charges to be initiated.”