GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED BRIBERY KEPT UNDER WRAPS:
It is indeed dark days in South Africa if corruption watchdogs in India, Kenya, Namibia and Zanzibar have to rely on Boere Krisisaksie (BKA) to bring overseas tender corruption to the attention of the South African public because the mainstream media in the country choose to ignore it.
The Kenyan government put out a tender for 9750 biometric voter registration kits to the Kenyan Election Commission. Four tenders were received: 4G Identity Solutions of India which quoted $45 million, Symphony whose bid was $47.5 million, Face Technologies of South Africa at $55.3 million and OnTrack of Israel at $99.4 million.The original tender committee awarded the contract to Face Technologies of South Africa, which ranked third, against the recommendation of the evaluation committee that 4G be awarded the contract.
It has now transpired that Kenyan foreign affairs officials demanded a bribe of 30 million Kenyan shillings for the tender. On Monday the chairman of 4G from India, Sreeni Tripuraneni, wrote to the Kenyan Electoral Commission, claiming that from the start the Kenyan Department of Foreign Affairs demanded a bribe for the tender to go through. Last weekend the tender committee of the Kenyan Electoral Commission all resigned.
Kenyan corruption activist Okiya Omtata filed an urgent case to stop the IEBC from awarding the tender to anyone except the lowest bidder six days ago. He claimed: "I have now become aware that the tendering process is being conducted against a backdrop of powerful forces operating corruptly and discreetly to advance their vested interest," he said in his application. The case will be heard before High court judge David Majanja.
WHO THEN, IS FACE TECHNOLOGIES SOUTH AFRICA? Face Technologies -1st Floor, Block B
Southdowns Office Park, cnr John Vorster and Karee Streets, Irene, South Africa. Face Technologies specializes in:
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National Identification System
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Election & Voter's Registration System
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Transport Information System comprising of:
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Driving Licence Application
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Driving Licence Card Production
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Motor Vehicle Registration & Licensing
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Cross Border Vehicle Control
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Cash Payment System Using Biometric and Smart Card Technologies
Face Technologies South Africa caused a loss of $3m to the Kenyan National Social Security Fund when their supposed computerised system failed to work. The Finance Minister of Zanzibar also castigated Face Technologies for the failure of national identity documents in Zanzibar.
In South Africa, Face Technologies is the firm behind the failed eNaTIS traffic information system and they are also involved in the Police Force’s ID cards, the backlog in firearm licences, the corruption-riddled social grants in four provinces and driving license production.
In Uganda, on 2 September 2009, the Ministry of Transport issued a statement saying that Face Technologies does not deliver on its contract. Face Technologies was also fined sh5 billion for not paying taxes in Uganda for five years.
In Namibia, on 24 February this year, Lithotech raised questions about a tender allocated to Face Technologies for electronic voter registration. Lithotech is now aiming to fight the tender in court, claiming irregularities in the tender.
** Face Technologies bought the right to driving licences in South Africa from Schabir Shaik, the convicted fraudster. Face is a subsidiary of the state-owned Arivia-kom and apart from the CEO Serfies Serfontein no information about the directors is readily available.
** Arivia.kom (Pty) Ltd has the following directors: Kiruben Pillay, Nonkululeko Nyembezi (Arcellor Mittal), Tebogo Mphuti (Wits), Stephen Mncube (Communications Authority), Pradeep Maharaj (Transnet) and Jasper Buys (UP).
Pradeep Maharaj followed Maria Ramos from Transnet to Absa late last year.
Kiruben Pillay was involved with Altech and Eskom.
Naspers verstaan nog nie tegnologie so lekker nie
Die probleem met ‘n monopolie is dat die firma mettertyd so sterk en onaantasbaar voel dat daar heeltemaal voeling met die werklikheid verloor word. Sulke monopolieë vergeet ook van een van die fundamentele eienskappe van enige besigheid (Micro-ekonomie 1A) naamlik dat alle besighede een of ander tyd tot niet gaan of van eienaar verwissel. Firmas wat in 1900 fluks sake gedoen het en steeds oorleef is ‘n baie groot uitsondering.
In Suid Afrika het Nasionale Pers met sy Afrikaanse dagblaaie ‘n groot inspuiting gekry toe die mag van die destydse Nasionale Party van noord na suid geskuif het, want dit het hierdie suidelike persgroep ‘n groot voordeel (politieke voordeel, NP-voordeel) gegee teenoor die noordelike Perskor.
Binne ‘n relatief kort tyd kon Nasionale Pers spog met Burger, Volksblad en Beeld; terwyl die behoudende dagblaaie soos Transvaler, Vaderland, Hoofstad en Oggendblad een na die ander geswig het sonder die Nasionale Party se invloed en steun.
Daar is geen groter bewys van die siek simbiose van die Nasionale Party en Naspers as in die tydperk 1991 tot 1994 nie. Dit het die gedagte alhoemeer by Naspers laat posvat dat hulle “onaantasbaar” is en hulle lesers kan lei op enige weg wat hulle goeddink. Dit het hulle voortgegaan om met oorgawe te doen na die eenheidstaat tot stand gekom het. Met ‘n arrogansie wat selfs sterker was as by die Nasionale Party (dit gebeur met direkteure van ‘n monopolie – hulle kweek ‘n gevoel van almag) het Naspers aangegaan en SELF die agenda bepaal eerder om na die lesers se agenda te luister.
Die jongste is die misleidende, hansie-my-kneg berigte van Leopold Scholtz oor wat aangaan in Nederland. Verlede week het hy kiesers probeer wysmaak FW de Klerk is die dryfkrag agter die pogings in Nederland; Woensdag het hy, sonder om enigsins die ware mosie en besprekings oor te dra, sommer sy eie interpretasie van wat die mosie behels het aan die lesers probeer afsmeer.
Senior politieke skrywers soos Du Plessis, Kruger en Joubert krabbel al geruime tyd om asseblieftog al hulle lesers weer op die “eenheidstaat”-wa te kry. Daarvoor maak hulle ook gebruik van uitgesoekte “mak Afrikaners” as rubriekskrywers. Die rubriekskrywers moet die agterdeur oophou vir “Afrikaanses” eerder as “Afrikaners”. Die gesanik van die FW de Klerk Stigting, die Afrikaner(broeder)bond en Pik Botha word ook gereeld opgedis as nuuswaardig.
Maar nou het die tyd en die tegnologie Naspers ingehaal. Die keiser is skielik kaal. Die monopolie toon ernstige krake.
Sosiale netwerke en die internet maak ‘n eenheidstaat-gedrewe politieke koerantgroep skielik irrelevant. Anders as in 1994 is inligting nou landswyd beskikbaar binne minute – sonder die hulp van ‘n koerant.
Boere Krisisaksie (BKA) is net ‘n middelslag groep, maar sy facebook-blad trek gereeld meer as 1,4 miljoen lesers per maand. Dit het ‘n groter ledetal as Naspers se eie facebook-groepe; groter as die Demokratiese Alliansie, groter as die VF+, Afriforum en Solidariteit. Op sy muur word nie net die berig oor die Nederlandse Parlement geplaas nie, maar ook die foto’s van die betrokke politici, die volledige mosie, kommentare uit Nederland en Suid Afrika.
Vir ‘n Afrikaanse persgroep wat sy eie agenda dryf moet dit frustrerend wees, want sy geloofwaardigheid word dag na dag weggekalwe.
Kan ‘n mens die Franse slagspreuk op hulle van toepassing maak? Deur die mense, vir die mense, uit die mense.
Naspers het ‘n keuse. Die grote, onaantasbare De Beers van die Oppenheimers bestaan ook nie meer nie.