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ActionSA demands an urgent investigation into alleged irregularities in a R285 million textbook tender by the Department of Basic Education, awarded to a Cape Town-based company registered just 3 days after the specifications were issued, raising obvious concerns that require scrutiny.

At a time when South Africa’s education system is under immense pressure, any suggestion of manipulation in the procurement of textbooks and learning materials simply cannot be tolerated. The Department and National Treasury must act speedily to ensure that this critical function is not compromised by a procurement process that appears, at best, deeply questionable.

South Africans are all too familiar with how public procurement is abused through irregular and corrupt practices, and when this occurs in the education sector, the damage is equally immediate and far-reaching, directly undermining the quality of learning for millions of learners.

ActionSA calls on the Department of Basic Education and National Treasury to move with urgency to establish the full facts and ensure there is no doubt that this contract was awarded lawfully, transparently and in the best interests of millions of learners. 

Issued by ActionSA