By Marcus Moloko
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has found itself in the spotlight after Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services raised concerns over inflated prices in a five-year food-supply contract for prisons.
The controversy centred on reports that the department had paid more than R700 for a litre of cooking oil, along with exorbitant prices for other food items supplied to correctional centres.
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DCS has since said the cooking-oil figure was incorrectly interpreted because of a “capturing error”.
“That was a capturing error. We never bought cooking oil for R726 a litre. What we did buy was 25 litres at R726, which works out to about R29 per litre,” said DCS National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale.
The pricing concerns relate to Contract HO4/2023, concluded with 115 service providers for the supply, delivery and off-loading of 66
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