Gijima cagey about e-toll ‘mega deal’
While the Democratic Alliance has called for South African Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) to disclose the names of 33 sub-contractors linked to the e-tolling programme, JSE-listed ICT group, Gijima says it cannot divulge detailed information regarding its contract with the Electronic Toll Consortium (ETC).
The ETC was awarded the main contract to manage the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project on behalf of SANRAL in 2009, and signed-up 33 sub-contractors, of which, Gijima was one.
The ICT group even set up a new business unit within its Managed Services division to focus on the project.
Gijima told BusinessTech that it “has been contracted to supply and implement all computer HW infrastructure (Servers, Storage, Network and End User Equipment) for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.”
However, when BusinessTech asked the group for more detailed information, Gijima said it had nothing further to add, and was bound by a “confidentiality agreement between Gijima and ETC”.
The national government has been tasked with addressing a way forward for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project and e-tolling, after it was halted by a court order on April 28.
Gijima cited the contract award as a “mega deal” in 2009.
A programme director at Gijima, said at the time: “The awarding of the tender to Gijima is a big win for us, and we see this as a strategic partnership with the Electronic Toll Consortium (ECT) to deliver premium services to SANRAL.”
In 2008 the company responded as a sub-contractor to the ECT, to a tender issued by SANRAL for the provision of a comprehensive range of ICT services. SANRAL subsequently appointed ETC to deliver the ORT solution, and Gijima was awarded the sub-contracting of the ICT implementation.
Under the terms of the original contract, Gijima was tasked with delivering all the high availability ICT infrastructure and services for the proposed ORT system. The system was meant to have consisted of four components, including the Roadside System (RSS); ORT Back Office; Transaction Clearing House (TCH); the Violation Processing Centre (VPC); as well as a number of customer service centres.
Under terms of the original contract, Gijima said it would also supply Oracle software and database administration services.
“Gijima will deliver all ICT infrastructure products and services required for the ORT solution. This includes the delivery and installation of hardware, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software and desktop support services, and the design and implementation of the support network solution,” the group said in a statement following the awarding of the contract in 2009.
“We will also facilitate the call desk services for the ICT Infrastructure of the ORT system during the operations phase, as well as hosting services, which include data security, disaster recovery and operations services,” a spokesperson for the group said at the time.
Gijima added that it had set up a new business unit within its Managed Services division to focus on the SANRAL tender. “This business unit will be responsible for programme management and co-ordinate delivery integration between the four business units responsible for the delivery and operation of the solution,” it said.
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