The court last week found that the department had not followed procedure when it awarded the R42 million tender to KwaZulu-Natal-based companies Impala Stationery and Premier Stationery, and on Thursday the order to suspend the implementation of the tender was made final.

The matter was brought before the court earlier this month, after irregularities in the tender process were pointed out by the directors of Freedom Stationery and Afropulse 46 – trading as Power Stationery.

In January, Eastern Cape Department of Education superintendent-general Modidima Mannya announced the department's decision to suspend the stationery tender after irregularities were brought to his attention.

At the time of the suspension, Freedom Stationery and Power Stationery were two of six companies – which included Impala Stationery and not Premier Stationery – short-listed to receive the tender.

However, several weeks after these companies were notified that the tender had been temporarily placed on hold, it was revealed that Impala Stationery and Premier Stationery had been awarded the tender.

Judge Belinda Hartle on Thursday gave the department 14days to re-award the tender to two of the six companies short-listed at the beginning of the year.

This will automatically exclude Premier Stationery.

According to Sarah Sephton of the Legal Resource Centre in Grahamstown, who acted for the Centre For Child Law during the proceedings, schools can expect to receive their stationery only next semester.

Kathryn Parkes

Daily Dispatch