Southern District bakeries encounter another setback

After losing bids for tendersto supply bread, bakeriesin Lobatse and surroundingareas encountered another setbacklast week when their case inwhich they wanted to challengethe awarding of the recent tendersto the Botswana Democratic Party(BDP) chairperson of the Financesub-committee, and a Mayor ofLobatse, Caroline Lesang, wasstruck off the roll with costs.Lobatse High Court Judge,Justice Tshepho Motswagole disposedCrown Bakery, (PTY) Ltd,Pete-Name (PTY) Ltd, trading asAtamelang Bakery and PlatinumBakery (PTY) Ltd because theyhad fi led three days out of time.

 

 

“Itis ordered that the application forreview having been fi lled out oftime without leave as required byOrder 61 Rule 8, is hereby struckoff the roll with costs,” ruled Judge,Justice Motswagole.The bakeries had dragged beforethe court, the Ministry of LocalGovernment and Rural Development,the secretary of the DistrictTender Committee (DTC) and CaseisiBakery, trading as SlimberInvestment, which is a companyowned by the town mayor.They wanted an order of thecourt, ordering the DTC secretaryto cancel the awarding ofthe tenders it had awarded to CaseisiBakery, under tenders numberTB 8/3/5/2011-2013 and TB8/3/13/2011-2013. They also wantedthe order reviewing and settingaside the decision of the committeeinforming them of their unsuccessfulbid in respect of supplying foodrations to various institutions in Lobatseand Goodhope sub-districtsunder the above tenders.

 

 

Recently,there have been complainants fromthe bakery owners in Lobatse andthe surrounding areas concerningthe manner in which the mayor’scompany have been winning tendersin the area.Unconfi rmed reports are that themayor’s company has been awarded23 out of the 26 tenders for thesupply of bread, covering Lobatse,Manyana, Kanye, Ranaka, Moshupa,Nhlanhle, Thamaga, GoodHope and Mmathethe.In Lobatse Town Council, themayor’s bakery has won all fi ve ofthe awarded tenders, according tothe allegations.