The Minister of public Works

S. Sigcawu

Dept of Public Works

Cape Town.

I am complaining about a tender that has been awarded in a corrupt manner against me by the state tender board in your department, cape town, on the 27"* of February 2005. Tender procedures were flaunted to suite K& c Engineering. The person involved in this is the consultant Mr j Swieger, the tender Manager Mr Jeje and the state tender board and the regional manager.

Mr Swiegers was supposed to contact me to get information to motivate my status as I was the one who was number I on the short list, also to fax me information. He never did so or even phone me. He phoned shouting at me as to why i have not sent him information and that he did not get me on the phone. He slammed the phone down on me and never called again. I took the matter with the project manager, Mr Mohlalisi, for the above tender and found out that he did not know anything as far as he is concerned he had motivated me as I had all the PDI points and status as a a woman, affirmative action and have the right price.

Further more the project manager, Mr Mohlailisi told me that Mr Swiegers had acknowledged that i was the right person according to procedure but Mr Swiegers said i could was not fit to do the job and i had no money and did not have experience. He was already discriminating me on unfounded grounds. I took the matter with the Tender manager, Mr Jeje. Who also acknowledged that the tender was not awarded according to procedure. He said he would stop the tender and then investigate for two weeks. We had also contacted the regional manager who did not reply us in any way as well as reported this to the president and public protector. Copies attached.

Today Mr Jeje took a week's leave without telling the project manager the outcome of his investigations. The project manger, Mr Mohlalisi is not even aware of what is happening with the tender and he is being side lined and he is the one who has to answer all the questions. Nobody in the department knows about a complaint that we have lodged with Mr Jeje or investigations that he was doing for two weeks, even stopping the tender being awarded to K & c engineering or aware that there is such a complaint having been made by me.

I have been over looked by the consultant because i am black, lack experience and have no money. He says i cannot do the job even though everything i have submitted is correct and meets the requirements. The consultant does not know me or my company and he has not even bothered to find out any further information about me and my company. He is not even supposed to say such things. All he did was shout at me over the phone for not getting back to him for information he did not request from me or contact me.

As a woman in construction this is not the first time this has happened. The provincial procurement manager, Mr Kurt Hendricks said he was not going to give tenders because he did not know me last year and i lost tenders which where meant to be awarded to me. I did raised this matter with the director who gave me a very cold shoulder.

I would like to know if this how us women are to be treated when we are the ones who are supposed to get tenders. Your departments here in the Cape are practicing discrimination, prejudicing against African women and man, humiliating us black people, undermining our capabilities in the name of procedure.

The above tender has been stolen under my nose by people in the department who are not fit to hold their positions because they are corrupt and are incapable of following normal tender procedures because they work with some companies that afford them extra finance by flaunting tender laws.

Normally, a woman who has scored all PDI points and has the correct price, is supposed to be awarded the tender and further more affirmative action applied as required by your departments, but this is not happening.

This tender is mine . I claim it because i qualified according to requirements of the tender process which has been flaunted to marginilise me in every way. The documents supplied are proof that i did meet all the criteria.

I appeal to you to help me claim what has been robbed of me by your staff and that your department needs serious investigations.

Yours Sincerely

Mercy Nokwanda Matanda

p/s

employment equity acr (1999)

skills development acr 1999

bill of rights section 9, subsection 3,4 &5

The president mentioned on 22"d feb 2005 that the public works has to check if Pdi 's and Africans are indeed setting the jobs.