Transport Ministry challenged to cancel unique number plates tender

 

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has been challenged to order the Department of Roads and Transport Services to cancel the tender for the procurement of personalised number plates, which has been awarded to a South African company.

Local company Imbani Procurement Solutions has raised suspicions that serious irregularities and dubious procurement practices have occurred within the concerned department.

In a complaint letter written to the ministry, the company Director Gibson Kariko stated that the absence of a public tender advertisement, the unilateral notification of the tender opening, and the presence of only one (South African) bidder raise concerns of non-compliance with Botswana procurement laws, which require that a procuring entity shall issue a written bidding document and that the process be competitive.

'We submit that these actions constitute a direct violation of the principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability, and may amount to a deviation from the prescribed procurement process,' he said.

He said the tender should be cancelled and the department be ordered to comply strictly with the Public Procurement Act and the Public Procurement Regulations in any subsequent procurement process for the vehicle identification plates.

He pointed out that the cancellation of the tender, if due to the Ministry's omission, should be addressed in accordance with the applicable regulations, including the refund of bidding document costs and allowing participation in a re-tender at no cost.

According to Kariko, they have been in active engagement with the Ministry since 2023. During this period, he said they have conducted presentations and discussions concerning their solution and approach to vehicle identification plates technology and processes.

'Our involvement with the Ministry reflects a legitimate interest in this procurement matter. In 2025, a public tender was floated regarding the same subject matter, with a tender opening held in September 2025. Our company duly participated in that process,' he said in the letter.

He added that in February 2026, they learnt via social media (Facebook) that the tender had been cancelled.

'We subsequently approached your office to seek clarification. Your office confirmed the cancellation, assuring us that a re-tender would be conducted. However, the reasons for the cancellation were never provided.

We note that where a cancellation is due to a procuring entity's omission, the procuring entity is obligated to refund a bidder the cost of the bidding document and, where applicable, allow the bidder to participate in a re-tender at no cost. We reserve our rights in this regard,' he noted.

Kariko stated that on the 22nd of July 2026, they saw an advertisement of a tender opening. This advertisement, he said, was a notification of the tender opening indicating that a South African company, 'Unique Number Plates,' had submitted a tender response. He highlighted that the tender was never advertised as a public tender opportunity.

'We submit that this constitutes a fundamental breach of the principles of public procurement, which require that procurement opportunities be advertised to ensure transparency, competition, and equal opportunity for all qualified bidders.

The absence of a public advertisement denies potential bidders the opportunity to participate, constituting a restriction of competition,' Kariko said.

According to Kariko, the only advertisement they observed was a “notification of the tender opening” where only one bidder ('Unique Number Plates') had submitted a response.

He indicated that this is highly irregular and suggests that the procurement process was not conducted in a competitive, fair, and transparent manner, as required by Botswana's Public Procurement Act and Regulations.

He noted that this public notification was done on 22 July 2026 despite the fact that the opening was on the 13th July 2026, causing some tactical delays.