Defence ministry unmasks fraudsters soliciting bids for 'PPE tender'

South Africa's defence ministry has taken a “dim view” of fraudsters using department of defence letterheads and Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's name to put out a “tender” for 45,000 face masks. 

Department of defence spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said opportunistic scammers were soliciting “unsuspecting business community members to tender for a contract” for personal protective equipment.

“These fraudsters have gone beyond using not only [department] letterheads but are now using the name of the minister of defence and military veterans [Mapisa-Nqakula],” said Dlamini.

He described the use of Mapisa-Nqakula's name as an “attempt to steal from government” and an “indication how desperate fraudsters have become in their attempts to steal from the people of South Africa”.

“The ministry and the department condemn in the strongest possible terms such behaviour from any quarter.

“The ministry takes a very dim view of such behaviour and would like to state that the minister has nothing to do with the procurement of any goods or services, nor calling for the procurement of PPEs in the department.”

Dlamini urged businesses to verify all tender documents with the Central Procurement Service Centre (CPSC) in Centurion.

The health ministry on Monday distanced Dr Zweli Mkhize from “fake news” doing the rounds on social media suggesting that the minister was linked to a company that manufactures PPE.

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