Service providers registered with The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and other Government Departments should be on the look-out for fake orders
The Department of Water Affairs hereby calls on all service providers who are registered in the DWA database and other Government Departments to look-out for fake orders that can defraud them of their goods.This process by unscrupulous people is doing rounds in Government Departments around Pretoria.
The warning is made due to relentless fake orders that are coming from service providers who have been defrauded of their goods. The DWA is inundated with calls from service providers demanding to be paid for services rendered which the Department is not aware of.
The DWA official in the Supply Chain Management (SCM), Mr Gustavis Makoloi pointed out that the Department has been confronted by angry service providers who are demanding to be paid for the alleged services rendered. “This process has been happening for quite a while now. What happens is that some unscrupulous people from syndicates submit orders to suppliers purporting to be from DWA. These are accompanied by fake appointment letters , quotation for goods to be supplied and the delivery address,” said Makoloi.
Once the supplier, believing that the order is authentic, accepts the request and delivers the goods to the address that is on the order form. The problem occurs when they expect to be paid as the Department would not pay them. Although the orders are printed on authentic DWA letterheads, the supply chain management officials are able to identify the flawed and fraudulent orders.. As a result they are not processed to the dismay of service providers.
According to Makoloi, when goods are delivered at the identified address, which
is normally the DWA Head Offices, especially ZwaMadaka Building, a collection
truck or van would be on standby to collect the items. At one stage the delivery
was conducted right inside the ZwaMadaka parking lot. This is done clearly so
that the process looks legitimate. Some of the deliveries have been done at the
Department’s Pretoria West offices where surprised officials have always refused to accept them. “This is a huge problem that we are currently facing and as officials of the Department working in the SCM Unit, we are very concerned,”
concluded Makoloi.
Makoloi appealed to all service providers to be careful in future. Service
providers have been conned of goods such as computers, iPads and cartridges
to name but a few, totalling close to millions of rands. The matter has been
reported to the police for investigations.
Service providers are urged to verify the orders with the DWA before delivering
any goods destined to DWA through contacting the numbers below:
Gustavis Makoloi:
Tel: 012 336 7461
E-mail: makoloig@dwa.gov.za
Puseletso Mathiso
Tel: 012 336 7093
E-mail: mathisop@dwa.gov.za
Urgent call to service providers
