Where there’s smoke, there’s fire over R1.8bn wildfire tender

We support AfriForum’s efforts to get to the bottom of a massive government tender for wildfire management, critically important work in a country increasingly tortured by fires threatening lives and property. That’s because this is an area requiring not only dedication from those involved, but also a high level of expertise. The contract is the one awarded by the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment for theWorking on Fireprogramme.

This programme involves the use of specialised helicopters to dump water, as well as fire-retardant chemicals, on fires to put them out or to contain them. For two decades, a company called Kishugu Aviation – acknowledged as an expert in the field – has been awarded the contract. But now, apparently, a new entrant into the business, a company called the Tefla Group, which allegedly has little experience in either aviation or firefighting, has got the lucrative R1.8 billion deal.

Not only has the company’s track record been questioned by AfriForum, the advocacy organisation also points to the fact that Tefla’s previous contracts have had less than stellar outcomes. AfriForum cited Tefla Group’s previous appointment by the Garden Route district municipality to construct a waste disposal facility in Mossel Bay. The contract was subsequently terminated after delays in delivery, despite about R53 million having already been paid before another contractor completed the project.

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AfriForum argues that “if a company could not properly complete a less specialised public contract, it raises serious red flags about its ability to manage a highly specialised wildfire programme”. The problem is the department is stonewalling releasing all the documents relating to the contracts.

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