Former Gauteng government and GPL employees unduly benefit from tenders

25 October 2023

Former employees of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) and the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) have an unfair advantage, resulting in them unduly benefiting from government tenders while taking away much-needed job opportunities from struggling SMMEs.

This is worrying because the unemployment rate is standing at over 2.6 million. This information was revealed in a written reply to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) questions tabled in the GPL to the various provincial government departments.

According to the replies, there is no declaration form which requires the bidder to declare their former employer. The responses received raise a lot of questions and give former government employees an unfair advantage over other bidders. This is because they would know exactly what the department is looking for when awarding a tender.

Furthermore, this can also open the door to corruption when it comes to the awarding of tenders.

Only the elite few benefits, while the average person is begging for scraps.

The DA proposes the implementation of a restraint of trade for a certain period when government employee resigns.

This will help to level the playing field and allow suppliers, particularly those that operate in the township economy, to be given a fair chance to bid for government tenders.

Issued by Nicola Du Plessis, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Economic Development, 25 October 2023