Public Protector Thuli Madonsela will probe the “flawed” R2,4bn IT tender, “Who Am I Online?”, awarded to technology group Gijima. The contract was awarded in 2007 and later cancelled after costs ballooned.

According to City Press newspaper, Madonsela will investigate whether Gijima CEO Jonas Bogoshi was “conflicted when, as chief strategic services officer at the State IT Agency (Sita), he participated in awarding the tender to Gijima and joined the company less than 12 months later”.

Home affairs wrote off R321m as unauthorised expenditure due to the Gijima settlement, the newspaper reported, quoting auditor-general Terence Nombembe. Gijima is chaired by Robert Gumede, who has close ties to the ruling ANC.

Bogoshi has reacted to the reports, saying Gijima welcomes the investigation by the Public Protector. In a statement to shareholders on Monday, Gijima says the matter has “already been settled” and “all issues relating to the contract have already been aired”.

“The board is confident that nothing untoward will be discovered,” Gijima says in the statement. “Gijima and its board will cooperate with the investigation in a transparent and truthful manner [and] is confident that the Public Protector’s investigation will exonerate both the company and its CEO.”

The “Who Am I Online?” tender was meant to modernise home affairs’ IT systems and included the re-engineering and digitisation of most of the national population register, including birth and death certificates, processing of ID and passport applications, visa and other permit applications, and enhanced movement control for South Africans and foreigners at the country’s borders. — Staff reporter, TechCentral