Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), the state-owned enterprise that runs the country’s largest commercial airports, has placed its CIO on precautionary suspension.

In a statement early on Friday, Acsa said the suspension of the CIO – named in media reports as Mthokozisi Mncwabe – became effective on Thursday, 8 August.

The CIO was suspended after Acsa found there was “prima facie evidence of wrongdoing” in relation to a big biometric and digital identity technology project.

“In May 2022, Acsa embarked on a procurement process for the Automated Border Control (ABC) project, e-Gates and single token for a period of 60 months,” the airports operator explained in the statement. “The process culminated in the appointment of a French multinational technology company, Idemia, and a contract to the value of R115-million was concluded.

“The contract required that at least 30% of the value be subcontracted to a South African, black-owned exempted micro enterprise (EME) and/or qualified small enterprise (QSE).

“As such, the winning bidder had a teaming agreement with a local company called InfoVerge as its black-owned EME/QSE partner for purposes of complying with EME/QSE requirements in the RFP (request for proposals,” it said.

Impasse

“However, Acsa became aware of an impasse between Idemia and InfoVerge and engaged both companies with a view to fostering an amicable resolution in the interest of delivering on the contract. Acsa was satisfied that the two business partners would work together in the delivery of the required services.

“Despite Acsa’s efforts, the two business partners could not reach an amicable resolution. This resulted in InfoVerge approaching the high court … seeking relief to set aside Acsa’s decision to award the tender for the provision of the ABC project to Idemia. In the court papers, Acsa was cited as a second respondent. Acsa is currently considering options in relation to the contract for the provision of the ABC project, e-Gates and single token that has been entered into with Idemia.”

Listen to a statement by Acsa spokesman Ernest Mulibana:

Last Saturday, Acsa released a media a statement in which it refuted claims raised in the high court case that there were irregularities in the company’s procurement processes.

“This was indeed true based on the information we had at the time and statements issued by those involved in the project. We have since undertaken a preliminary investigation and have now found that there is prima facie evidence of wrongdoing in relation to the biometric and digital identity technology project,” it said.

“It is on this basis that the CIO has been placed on precautionary suspension. The precautionary suspension is to allow Acsa to conduct further investigation and report back to the public on our findings.” — © 2024 NewsCentral Media