Cape Town – The investigation into the cancellation of a tender to issue smart identity cards is expected to be finalised within a month, Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi said on Monday.

He was responding to a written parliamentary question by Helena van Schalkwyk of the DA, on whether the persons from the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) responsible for the leaks which led to the cancelling of a tender to issue smart ID cards had been identified.

Baloyi said the smart card project was a subject of further investigation.

“It is thus only at the conclusion of the investigation that we may shed more light on this matter.

“I am making efforts to have the matter concluded latest by June 2010. Any report on any investigation in this matter will be made available,” he said.

In September last year, the home affairs department said it had cancelled its smart card ID tender, following lengthy delays in Sita awarding the tender.

The department said the open tender process for supplying the smart cards was bungled several times and a forensic audit of the tender process was being carried out to investigate apparent irregularities.

– SAPA
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