By Johannah Malogadihlare
Mpumalanga premier Mandla Ndlovu has assured the public that an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of funds in the acquisition of laptops by the provincial education department is at an advanced stage.
It recently came to light that the department spent over R2 million on office laptops meant for 22 individuals with each costing over R90,000.
“Because of the seriousness of this issue, once the investigation is finalised next week, we will inform the public,” Ndlovu said in a statement on Tuesday.
The premier said his administration would be guided by the principles of good governance to ensure that the acquisition of services by the state followed sound financial grounds.
“The investigation seeks to gather facts, supporting evidence and verify any information or documentation at their disposal, in light of applicable legislation,” said Ndlovu.
The department confirmed over the weekend that it spent the money on new laptops in December last year.
It said that the devices came at a high cost and were meant for its Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teams.
Other officials whose operational responsibilities required high-performance computing equipment also benefitted.
Ndlovu has urged that no one interrupts the investigation process.
INSIDE EDUCATION
