Warwick Bruce Chapman

City Press covered this article on Sunday 16 August, 2009:

Moneyweb have covered this issue here: http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page295027?oid=312210&sn=2009%20Detail&pid=287226

A contact in the media has passed me the document pack which Adapt-IT has had produced in consultation with a Johannesburg-based PR Agency to “clear their name” with respect to the rapidly spiralling, R6.5m Durban FIFA 2010 Web Portal issue (Portalgate?).  I have it on authority from both the CEO, Sbu Shabalala, and another Director of Adapt-IT that they are desperately trying to clear the name of Adapt-IT in the public sector as it is affecting their ability to tender for projects, particularly in the City of Johannesburg.

The media release pack from Adapt-IT includes the following documents, and all I have done is convert them to screen readable PDF:

The Official Story

Durban 2010 Portal Progress Report

eThekwini 2010 Portal Costs

Spokesperson Contact List

Spokesperson Profiles

My take on this

If one considers the answers provided by the ANC-led City Government to my questions posed to them at the last full sitting of the eThekwini Council on 30 July, 2009, one will see that:

1. The responses relating to tender procedures and budget allocation do nothing more than highlight the need for answers as to how this large sum could be awarded without following the normal procedures.  Owing to the lack of transparency on this matter by the City, investigating the legalities of the awarding of this tender is proving difficult.
2. The last question was sidestepped altogether.  It was  posed specifically with respect to the decision to switch platforms from the current standards compliant platform in which at least R8.1M has been invested in the last 3 years, to a new Microsoft-based platform which is potentially not compliant with Government policy covering such systems.  The answer provided speaks of user experience, the website “standing out from the rest” and most interestingly, avoiding the sort of problems experienced during the “re-evaluation process”.  If the “re-evaluation process” mentioned in this answer refers to the hugely criticised rates valuation process, then it appears the City is throwing money and technology at problems which are instead caused by skewed policy, divisive leadership and poor management.
3. The first time any meaningful insight into the scope and scale of the website development has been provided is now, through the Adapt-IT media release pack and not via the City.  Why is it that the City has not laid out all the cards and provided open access to the information relating to this development.  In particular, I believe the City needs to make public the following:

• The technical report which justifies objectively the choice to switch platforms, despite the signficant future expense to the taxpayer relative to the R8.1m investment already made in the current platform.
• The project plan for the entire portal development from stage 1 through stage 3 and onward as the City has stated they intend this new platform eclipsing and replace the current www.durban.gov.za information portal.
• The breakdown on tenders, contractors and service providers involved in the project and the scope of work and/or services provided by each.

Media coverage of the contents of the media pack have resulted in articles from:

MyBroadband – http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Business/9186.html