MPs have lashed Home Affairs Minister, Lebona Lephema, for buying police cars without going through an open tender. The 75 cars were bought from two South African companies.
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The Mahindra vehicles were bought from Smith Auto Group (Pty) Ltd while the Honda Fit cars were bought from Metro ARM (Pty) Ltd.
The Honda Fit vehicles were second-hand.
The vehicles were bought through a single-sourcing tendering method, which the government said was “following the Public Procurement Regulations of 2023”.
MPs of the Law and Public Safety parliamentary committee however said an open tender method should have been used instead.
The MPs accused Lephema of side-lining local companies when the ministry bought the cars.
The ministry spent M13.6 million on the vehicles.
The Mahindra vans cost M446 650 each while the Honda Fit cars were M50 000 each.
The MPs said this money should have been spent on locally-owned car dealerships. They said at the very least Lesotho companies should have been allowed to submit bids.
Basotho National Party (BNP) leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe, questioned the ministry’s claim that its decision to buy the vehicles from South Africa was based on market research.
“I want to know if there is any component called marker research in the ministry,” Mofomobe said.
“If it is there, did it compare the vehicles with other companies to see if it is the right quality and if they are cheaper?”
Mofomobe said the government “should walk the talk” when it comes to supporting the private sector.
“Finance ministers always say they will help the private sector.”
“The fact that they were single-sourced from a foreigner is not fair because there are Basotho businessmen who are dealing in cars,” he said.
Democratic Congress (DC) backbencher, Thabiso Lekitla from Mekaling constituency, said although the police urgently needed vehicles the government still had to follow procurement procedures.
“It was not right that the police who are supposed to oversee the law have broken it now,” he said.
He said he accepted that the Procurement Act allows single-sourcing “but the mistake was buying second-hand vehicles and not brand new vehicles” through single-sourcing.
He said the law states that second-hand goods should not be procured through single-sourcing but through competitive processes.
“That is where they broke the law,” he said.
The ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) MP for Lithoteng, Rethabile Letlailana, said the government preaches uplifting of the private sector “but goes along and gives out the jobs to foreigners”.
“It means we talk and act otherwise, the policy direction should be clear,” Letlailana said.
He said Finance Minister Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane’s budget promised to prioritise the private sector.
“We should not disrupt the economic activity that is supposed to be given to the private sector,” he said.
Lephema asked the committee to allow his ministry to go back and prepare answers for the members.
“These are serious issues that need to be discussed at length,” Lephema said.
“We need to sit down and talk.”
Nkheli Liphoto
