(1) The circumstances are that Magalies Water advertised a call for tenders for the project following the open / public tender process. The process followed was per the Magalies Water Supply Chain Policy and also in line with the National Legislation governing public procurement. After completing the due process of evaluation and adjudication of bids that had been received and which had met the criteria as per the advertisement, Murray & Dickson (Pty) Ltd emerged as the preferred bidder and they were duly appointed.
(2) No investigation has been conducted into the tender award. Magalies Water Board has not received any formal complaint of any wrong doing in relation to the awarding of the tender in question. Therefore, no outcome can be furnished, as required.
At this stage, we would like to also state that one of the bidders who had lost to Murray and Dickson decided - more than once - to bypass Magalies Water Board and took the award on Court Review, alleging irregularities on the process. On two (2) occasions, the Courts declared the Magalies Water’s process to have been above board and dismissed the allegations.
(3) There had been no reasons for Magalies Water Board to institute any disciplinary action against any official on this matter. To emphasize these neither a formal complaint nor any prima facie evidence of any wrong doing by anyone of our staff members had been brought to Magalies Water Board directly by any of the bidders, including the one that approached the Courts.