Food parcels for HIV/Aids patients left to rot

Thousands of food parcels intended for HIV/Aids patients are apparently rotting away in a warehouse in Kimberley.

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Kimberley - Thousands of food parcels intended for HIV/Aids patients in the Northern Cape are apparently rotting away in a toilet paper roll warehouse in Ashburnham, Kimberley, and have not been distributed to any of the beneficiaries.

A R4 million tender was apparently awarded by the Department of Health to a company, the name of which is known to the DFA, for the provision of 6 600 food parcels from the Comprehensive HIV/Aids fund.

When DFA reporters on Wednesday visited the warehouse, they discovered stacks of food parcels still waiting to be handed out.

The tender included the provision of food parcels, packaging, labour and transport, where the food parcels would be distributed to the five districts of the Province.

The list of beneficiaries on the nutritional supplements distribution list include the old Gordonia Hospital in Upington, the Provincial Council on Aids at the premier’s office and the Kagisho Health Centre in Mothibistad.

The perishable foodstuff has apparently deteriorated to such a state that it is no longer fit for human consumption.

It is believed that the parcels have been at the warehouse since December last year and were meant to have been distributed in the same month.

The contents of the parcels include rice, sugar, canned food, oats, samp, mielie meal, brown bread flour, dried beans and soya. Some of the items are already infested with weevils.

It is believed that the contents were specifically chosen to meet the nutritional needs of HIV/Aids patients.

It is also alleged that procurement processes were not followed, as many of the dates do not correlate.

The Department of Health authorised the tender on February 23, 2016, where the service provider had confirmed delivery of the goods on February 3, 2016.

A delivery note was, however, only signed on February 25, 2016, while the invoice was issued on February 4, 2016.

A letter bearing the Department of Health’s letterhead indicated that the department entered into a service level agreement with the company, dated December 12, 2014, while acceptance of the procurement of food parcels was dated September 18, 2015.

An internal memo from the Department of Health, dated February 25, 2016, pointed out that payment could not be authorised as several documents were not attached to the payment batch.

The outstanding documents include a valid tax certificate, a requisition form, a delivery note per district, a service level agreement and an order form where only the supplier advice was attached.

The memo stated that the invoice was not authorised.

An application for a tax clearance certificate dated February 25, 2016 was submitted indicating that the company was in good standing.

It is believed that the director of the company brought four officials from the Department of Health to inspect the food parcels at the warehouse about two weeks ago and to map a way forward for delivery.

According to information received, it appears that the company is not able to distribute the parcels as it has not received the list of beneficiaries from the department.

In the meantime, an estimated R25 000 a month is apparently being paid to rent the facility for the storage of the parcels.

Lebogang Majaha, spokesperson for the office of the Northern Cape MEC for Health, said they were not aware of food parcels allegedly procured to the value of R4 million from the company.

“The ministry will receive all the necessary information relating to this matter and comment in due course,” Majaha said.

Regarding enquiries that, during a TB Day event in De Aar, procurement documents were tampered with, Majaha confirmed that there was an internal investigation being conducted.

“The TB Day event in De Aar last year is also being investigated by the fraud and corruption task team of the department. We urge anyone with information to come forward.”

Despite assurances by the director of the company involved that he would respond to media enquiries on Wednesday, no correspondence had been received from his office by Wednesday evening.

DFA