War erupts over P3m National Arts Festival tender
Sharon Mathala | Sunday July 7, 2024 06:00
Allegations of favouritism and corruption for a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) council candidate who has been awarded the tender by the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture have surfaced.
At the heart of the controversy lies a lucrative tender allegedly awarded to Molebeledi 'Chilly' Segona, owner of Afro-Heavens Creations who is also a BDP council candidate for Sefophe ward. The announcement of Segona’s win was met with uproar from other bidders, who have since cried foul.
The contentious tender is for the provision of artistic production for the 2024 national arts festival ensemble, a jewel in the nation's entertainment calendar formerly known as the President’s Day Competition. This event attracts the President, dignitaries, celebrities, and media from across the country.
Documents seen by Arts&Culture reveal that the open bid tender was awarded for a whooping P3,100,000.00. However, complaints have surfaced, alleging that Afro-Heavens Creations was given undue opportunity to resubmit missing documents—an allowance that, according to the complainants, should have resulted in immediate disqualification.
Complainants argue that other companies were not afforded the same leniency for their incomplete submissions. They further contend that the tender process was shrouded in secrecy and were stunned to discover that the winning bid was, in fact, the highest cost.
Phemelo 'Fresh Les' Lesokwane, one of the aggrieved bidders, expressed his frustration: “Initially, there were five companies. One was disqualified for missing documents. Our expectation was that Afro-Heavens Creations would also be disqualified for the same reason. Yet, we never received a debrief and then saw on social media that the tender had been awarded. The company is already advertising for personnel for the gig we are waiting to hear about,” Lesokwane said.
“There must be transparency in government tenders. Procedures should be strictly followed. We have written to the Permanent Secretary (PS) and will be applying to the tribunal to intervene. If necessary, we will seek an urgent application to stay the tender,” he added.
In a response letter to the complainants, the ministry's Permanent Secretary Bridget John, noted that, “A decision on the tender was made on the afternoon of June 27, 2024, with the Procuring Entity required to negotiate the final contract. The final decision was reached on Friday, 28th June 2024, after a negotiation meeting held on the same day. I must emphasise that the decision was made after working hours. The outcome was to be communicated to all bidders on Tuesday, 2nd July 2024, in alignment with the Public Procurement Regulations.”
When contacted by Mmegi, John directed inquiries to the ministry’s public relations officer, Tlhobo Tlhasana, who confirmed the matter but added, “It’s still an internal matter. We are still engaging on the issue.”
Contacted for comment, Segona first claimed ignorance on the matter. When pressed further, he said that he needs more time to tell Mmegi ‘everything’ before he switched off his phone.