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

ITWeb has covered this here: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2009/0908141100.asp

My Questions on behalf of the Democtratic Alliance:

I tabled the following questions in terms of Section 17 of the Rules of Order at the 30 July Council Meeting:

1. Was there a tender process entered into for the preparation of the new website?
2. From which budget allocation was the funding for the new website sourced?
3. Was the cost of R6.5 million made known to the relevant Council Committees prior to the launch and the resultant media exposure?
4. How much money has been invested in the existing www.durban.gov.za website and platform since it was deployed on the open source Plone system?
5. Why did the City decide to develop the new website using expensive Microsoft technologies instead of sticking with the existing open source, standards compliant platform?

Answers from the City:

Councillor Fawzia Peer (ANC), in her capacity as Chief Whip provided the following respective responses:

1. Yes, in May 2008 the Municipality advertised for the appointment of a panel of consultants to assist the information services section to deliver on its various projects. From this panel, a quote system was used to obtain services for various projects, including the preparation of a new website.
2. 2010 IT budget.
3. IT budgets for 2010 were confirmed very late, due to late clarification from the LOC and FIFA companies as to what the Municipality is expected to fund for 2010 IT Projects and 08/09 year this budget was R7.5 million.
4. Budgeted figures are:

06/07 – R2.7 million;
07/08 – R2.7 million;
08/09 – R2.7 million.

5. We needed a very dynamic and robust website that would:

● Allow citizens and visitors alike to have an exciting experience when visiting the website,
● For the website to stand out from the rest and
● Cater for the volumes of people visiting the website.
● Ensure we don’t end up with the difficulties experienced during the re-evaluation process.

My thoughts

I am concerned that question 1’s answer suggests due process was not followed but am not familiar enough about what the process is, especially considering answer to question 2. and 3.? I will be finding out about this.

Answer to question 4. shows that deploying and managing the Plone-based current website for the past 3 years has cost R8.1m – only R1.6m more than the budgeted cost to build the new site.

Answer to question 5. is totally avoiding the question and the policy requirements.

Striking Muncipal workers trashed parts of Pinetown during a protest march Tuesday morning.  Strikers were described by a bystanding business owner as agressive and confrontational and a metro policewoman confirmed that the strikers overturned dustbins on the course of their march and spread the litter across the streets.

While the DA supports the right of the workers to strike, we cannot accept the behaviour of the strikers during what should have been a peaceful march.

South Africa is entering a concerning period of potentially violent activism as the poor and unemployed struggle to survive in the face of deep recession.  We require strong leadership and austerity from the ANC to chart a course and set the example through these troubled times.

Cllr Warwick Chapman, Ward 18

The West Durban Constituency of the Democratic Alliance celebrated Madiba’s 91st Birthday (Mandela Day), with a Park Cleanup at Crompton / Sunnyside Park in Pinetown.  The Park has been a problem for many years now and was filthy.  The the team of volunteers put on a sober and workman-like showing and really managed to change the face of the park in 67 minutes.

Attending from the DA were Gareth Morgan MP, Cllr Tex Collins, Cllr Peter Davis, Cllr Noma Phungula, Cllr Warwick Chapman, and COM Fabiola Macrae.  Volunteers came from as close as Pinetown and as far away as a Korean and German.  All in, we assembled a team of 20 volunteers who collected an enormous amount of litter and assorted junk and deposited it in the Metro supplied garbage skip.

Crompton/Sunnyside Park is much cleaner than it was before and pressure will be applied on the local Parks office to keep it clean.

Even if it was not so grossly out of taste, I’m not sure the literal meaning of “Scraping the barrel” can even be applied to this article in any way whatsoever!

UPDATE: The wording has been corrected:

Hi
Many thanks, I have changed this.
Best regards
Angela

______________________________________________
Angela Spencer, Acting E-Communications Manager
eThekwini Communications Department