Old tender tricks recycled as R6.8m transport department contracts questioned
The AG has recommended consequence management after finding recurring media services were procured through separate quotation processes.
The auditor-general has criticized the Gauteng Department of Transport for its procurement practices, specifically questioning the acquisition of millions of rands in livestreaming and media services. Instead of following the prescribed open competitive bidding process for contracts exceeding R1 million, the department executed seven smaller contracts valued between R830,000 and R997,050, totalling R6.795 million.
This practice, known as bid splitting, was also flagged in a previous SIU probe into corruption in Gauteng’s Tembisa Hospital, which led to the assassination of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran in 2023. The audit found that the department had previously estimated media-related requirements at R9.34 million for 2025-26, indicating they were aware of the substantial need, yet chose to procure services separately.
The audit recommended the department should have consolidated these requirements for procurement planning and suggested that recurring livestreaming services should no longer be procured via separate RFQs, but rather through an open competitive bidding process for requirements exceeding R1 million. The department refuted allegations that the transactions were deliberately split, stating the RFQs were for distinct events with varying scopes, deliverables, and requirements.
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