New service provider appointed for Ugu Jazz Festival
The tender had reportedly been awarded despite appeals from various companies which had also tendered.
Ugu District Municipality has awarded the much talked about Ugu Jazz Festival tender to a Durban-based company.
According to the municipality’s website, Umlazi-based Eyadini Lounge is the new service provider for the festival.
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Municipal spokesman France Zama confirmed the appointment of Mjey Zama of Eyadini Lounge for the next three years.
The tender had reportedly been awarded despite appeals from various companies which had also tendered.
According to tender processes, a company may not be awarded a tender if a valid appeal is lodged against the company and if internal processes such as a hearing had not taken place.
However Mr Zama said the municipality’s legal department had ‘ironed out issues and objections’ over the tender process.
“The objections were there but they did not impede us from going ahead and awarding the tender,” he said.
For the past 12 years, the event had been organised by local company, Cyassound Holdings.
However, in May this year, at the 11th hour, Ugu announced that the festival had been cancelled.
Insiders claimed that the municipality had failed to award the tender due to political squabbles with two different services providers – Cyassound Holdings and Eyadini Lounge – being preferred by two opposing factions at the municipality.
A notice of intention to award, which expired on August 10, had been issued on July 26.
Mr Zama said the tender was awarded on Monday and urged everyone who felt the decision was unjust to discuss the matter with the municipality.
Cyassound Holdings CEO, Siyabonga Msomi, said he wished the new service provider all the best.
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