The Minister of Transport, Dr Blade Nzimande, welcomes the Constitutional Court decision to dismiss Tasima’s application for leave to appeal against the judgment to hand over the eNatis system and related services to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
The Court in its wisdom dismissed with costs the application by Tasima for lack of prospects of success.
“This decision vindicates the department from paying the R33-million claimed by Tasima for services related to eNatis that the company claimed to have provided to the department after June 23, 2015,” said Minister Nzimande.
Minister Nzimande said that what boggles his minds is the fact that Tasima wanted the government to pay for services that they claim to have rendered after a date in which the high court in Pretoria declared the contract between Tasima and the department for the provision of eNatisinvalid.
The Court pronouncement on the 9th November 2016, granted the Department of Transport and the RTMC leave to terminate the illegal and irregular extension of the Tasima contract.
Tasima was ordered to hand over the eNatis system to the RTMC within 30 days but the company held on to the system beyond the period until it was ordered by the North Gauteng High Court to vacate the eNatis system premises with immediate effect in April 2017.
“As the Department of Transport, through the RTMC, we have committed and competent public servants who have been administering the eNatis system since we took over its management since April 2017, and we are moving ahead to modernize the system to improve its efficiency,” said Minister Nzimande.
“The decision by the Constitutional Court yesterday, 17 July 2018, brings an end to this unwarranted legal battle by individuals who were hell-bent to capture and siphon money from the State,” said Minister Nzimande.
Minister Nzimande said the desperate preoccupation by Tasima is indicative of a company that solely modelled its business on state procurement and services without diversifying to other areas of growth.
“Government has taken decisive action to end state capture and corruption in key state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and institutions and will continue to do so until the credibility and integrity of all parts of the state have been restored,” emphasised Minister Nzimande.