Minister explains books in the basement

Local Government Minister Margaret Nasha told Parliament yesterday that as a result of the court case and double purchase, one consignment of the books was stored at the basement of the ministry headquarters.   

'Go ne go na le boferefetshwana (There was a murky scam),' she said. She revealed that the stock of books was ordered for primary schools, which fall under her ministry but trouble started when a supplier sued the company who got the tender. The books were supplied and paid for but after the company lost the case, the ministry was forced to buy the same stock from the supplier who went to court.

Nasha told Parliament that she was informed that the company that initially supplied the books, Poloko Publishing, was created by employees of Educational Books. When Educational Books later learnt that they lost the tender to their former employees, they filed a case in the High Court. The case was concluded in December 2006.

The Minister told Parliament that after Educational Books won the case, the ministry complied with the court order and enlisted them as the new supplier. She said the ministry had to pay Poloko Publishing P397,000 and the new supplier also. She did not reveal the figure paid to the second company.

Nasha said the distribution was delayed by the process of transferring some powers from her ministry to the Ministry of Education and Skills Development. She said the consultation with the Ministry of Education is now complete. She explained that both Educational Books and Poloko Publishing are agents of various publishers. But the publishers had terminated their contract with the traditional suppliers, Educational Books.
Nasha did not say whether any officer has been implicated in the saga. She was speaking after Kgatleng East MP, Isaac Mabiletsa asked if she is aware of the existence of a stack of books delivered lying in the basement of the building hosting the ministry headquarters. Mabiletsa wondered why the books, which have been there for more than four years have not been distributed to schools.