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Policy shift ended prison deal: Minister

A “major strategic shift” ended a public-private partnership (PPP) deal to build new prisons, Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Thursday. In a statement delivered at a briefing in Pretoria following Cabinet's regular fortnightly meeting on Wednesday, she said the PPP procurement for four new 3000-bed prisons at Paarl, East London, Nigel and Klerksdorp would be cancelled. Earlier, government spokesman Jimmy Manyi told reporters that the Cabinet supported the decision. “Furthermore, Cabinet will review the PPP models across government,” he said. Mapisa-Nqakula said bid submissions received from short-listed bidders, in May 2009, had not been opened or evaluated.

“Since May 2009, there has been a fundamental policy and operational review resulting in a major strategic shift and change in objectives within the department of correctional services,” she said. “These changes and the desire to achieve the objectives of the above have raised a question as to whether or not the proposed public-private partnership model could deliver the required services and expected outcomes, without undermining a fundamental state responsibility of managing and providing public security,” she said. Among other things, bid specifications had to be amended to exclude the provision of security and custodial services by third parties, which was deemed a “core function” of the department.

“It became evident that the specifications contained in the original tenders could not accommodate the requirements identified by the review,” the minister said. “As a result, a decision was taken to cancel the procurement of a further four correctional centres through the proposed PPP procurement process.” Mapisa-Nqakula also announced the appointment of a new Inspecting Judge of Correctional Centres, to replace Judge Deon van Zyl, whose term of office expires at the end of the month. “President (Jacob Zuma) has appointed the Honourable Judge Vuka Tshabalala (retired Judge President for Kwa-Zulu Natal) as the Inspecting Judge from November 1, 2011, for a period of three years.

Source: iol.co.za

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Policy shift ended prison deal: Minister

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