Mpumalanga Department of Education HOD Lucy Moyane. Picture: Facebook The Mpumalanga government says it has recovered nearly R700 000 from a service provider implicated in the controversial 22 laptops tender. The scandal first emerged in 2025 when a whistleblower exposed irregularities regarding the Mpumalanga Department of Education’s purchase of 22 laptops, each costing nearly R100 000.
The department had contracted a supplier to provide 22 Dell XPS 15 laptops at R91 482.50 each, along with one HP printer priced at R8 269.45. The total contract, including accessories such as wireless mice and laptop bags, amounted to R2 million (R2 020 883.45). A subsequentinvestigationfound significant flaws in the procurement process.
The report, published in May 2025, concluded that the department’s actions breached both the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). The probe also revealed that the supplier failed to meet the agreed-upon specifications, delivering laptops of lower quality than those contracted and paid for. Furthermore, the investigation highlighted instances of misrepresentation and potential fraud within the procurement process.
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The Mpumalanga provincial government announced on Thursday that it has successfully recovered R685 712.70 of the R855 712.70 owed by the service provider. Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu confirmed that the outstanding R170 000 is expected to be paid by the end of January.
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