The Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education holds that the decision to challenge alleged awarding of P662 million tender constitutes abuse of court process
GAZETTE REPORTER
The Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education has dismissed allegations that it awarded a controversial P662 million tender as abuse of the court process and false.
In documents filed before Justice Bugalo Maripe of the Maun High Court, Permanent Secretary Mmamiki Kamanakao says contrary to allegations made by Techboe (Pty) Ltd, no such award has been made.
“The allegation that an award of a tender had been made to the 4th respondent is untrue and it is denied. There is no award of the tender. What occurred was a publication of bid opening as required by the applicable regulations,” Kamanakao says in her affidavit.
Procedural irregularities
Techboe is challenging what it describes as irregularities in the ministry’s procurement of a multimillion-pula integrated STEAM e-learning project, which it claims was improperly awarded to Emeritus Training Academy.
According to Kamanakao, Techboe lodged a complaint with the Ministry on 7 August 2025, alleging procedural irregularities in the procurement process.
The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) subsequently issued a directive on 8 August 2025, instructing the ministry to suspend the process pending investigation. The ministry, she says, complied by undertaking to halt all procurement activities on 11 August 2025.
“Legally untenable”
But despite this suspension, Kamanakao argues, Techboe proceeded to launch an urgent court application, seeking the same relief already granted by PPRA.
“The applicant has approached this honourable court purportedly on urgency and seeks incompetent and/or academic reliefs,” she says, adding that the suit was “legally untenable” and contrary to established legal principles.
In its application, Techboe accuses the ministry of sidelining its longstanding proposal on the same project.
As far back as 2015
The company claims to have submitted the idea as far back as 2015 and pursued multiple follow-ups, including presentations and engagements, but never received a definitive response regarding whether its proposal was accepted or rejected.
Frustrated by what it describes as years of silence, Techboe wrote to the Office of the President seeking support for the rollout of its software in public schools.
The company says while awaiting a formal response, it discovered a Facebook post published by the ministry on 4 August 2025 stating that a contract worth P662,607,583.46 had been awarded to Emeritus Training Academy through a direct procurement method.