- Tender awarded to Sharps Construction
- DCEC has been in touch with the ministry
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
The award of a tender for construction, replacement, and maintenance of institutional housing infrastructure in Kasane to Sharps Construction by the Ministry of the Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism has upset bidders that lost and may result in legal action.
Dated 10 January 2024, the notice of the award to Sharps Construction specifies a total bid amount of P202,578,060.42 and states that the project is scheduled for completion within 80 calendar weeks.
The companies that lost the bid are reportedly planning to challenge the awarding of the tender to Sharps Construction in the High Court.
Concerns raised
Concerns were raised at a debriefing meeting on 18 January where all bidders were present and the aggrieved companies sought clarification of certain issues from the ministry and the project consultants, Sectaf Architects.
A source told The Botswana Gazette: “They raised a number of concerns and demanded clarity from the consultants, who were not present. They are going to try and challenge the award in court.”
The controversial tender has attracted the attention of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC) where its spokesperson Lentswe Motshoganetsi has confirmed being aware of the issues surrounding the tender but would not elaborate.
However, The Gazette is informed that DCEC investigators have been in contact with the ministry.
At the time of publication, no charges have been brought against any persons or entities related to the tender.