TECH FIRM IN HOT WATER OVER SUBSTANDARD LAPTOP DEAL WITH MPUMALANGA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
The department, citing gross discrepancies, has since demanded the return and replacement of the laptops, along with a refund of R543,479, the amount believed to have been overcharged.
EZOMPHAKATHI
BoTau Technologies faces refund demand, SIU probe, and possible blacklisting after R2-million tender blunder
A tech company contracted to supply premium laptops to the Mpumalanga Department of Education is under fire for allegedly delivering substandard equipment and inflating prices—an act that has triggered a product recall, refund demands, and calls for criminal investigation.
BoTau Technologies, which was awarded a contract worth R2,012,615 to deliver 22 high-end Dell XPS 15 laptops, is accused of instead supplying cheaper Dell XPS 13 models, in direct violation of the tender agreement.
The department, citing gross discrepancies, has since demanded the return and replacement of the laptops, along with a refund of R543,479, the amount believed to have been overcharged.
According to documents seen by Sunday World and submitted to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), the department has admitted receiving incorrect products and is urgently trying to rectify the procurement scandal.
“On 25 February 2025, the department received a letter from the service provider indicating that the laptops delivered were not in line with the specification,” it told Scopa.
The procurement deal, signed off in September 2024 by then Head of Department Lucy Moyane, included both the Dell XPS 15 laptops and HP OfficeJet 250C Mobile All-In-One Printers, priced at R8,258.45 each. The tender was advertised in August and awarded to BoTau Technologies, who sourced devices through Pinnacle and Tarsus distributors.
In a letter dated February 24, BoTau director Lassy Mahole admitted to supplying the incorrect laptops, blaming the error on the Dell XPS 15’s apparent discontinuation. He proposed an upgrade of the laptops' SSD (solid-state drive) from 1TB to 4TB to offset the discrepancy, or alternatively, a staged repayment over two months.
“The money paid to the company in excess is still available to upgrade the laptops,” Mahole wrote.
But a March 3 letter from Moyane warned that failure to deliver the correct products would lead to full repayment demands. An internal audit revealed that each laptop was priced at R39,100, or R44,965 with VAT—significantly less than what BoTau charged.
Despite multiple attempts, Mahole could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, political fallout has escalated.
Annerie Weber, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) provincial education spokesperson, slammed the department for what she called “financial mismanagement” and demanded Moyane’s removal.
“It really looks and sounds suspicious that the department and its procurement officials agreed to pay BoTau Technologies over R2-million for laptops that were quoted for less,” Weber said.
She also called for BoTau to be blacklisted from the Provincial Supplier Database and urged the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to determine whether criminal charges should follow.
Adding to the controversy is the timing of Moyane’s sudden leave. She went on a month-long break just hours after Premier Mandla Ndlovu announced a formal probe into the matter, led by his office’s Integrity Management Unit. The investigation was reportedly prompted by national-level concern from President Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
Ndlovu has promised to release the full investigation report on Friday.