05 Mar 2025

The objective of Banyana Farm tender was to invite potential farmers and or investors with expertise and resources to venture into a viable and innovative livestock farming, acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture Dr Edwin Dikoloti has told Parliament.

Banyana Company, he said, on November 11 to December 20, 2019 floated a tender to sub-lease six portions of the farm being portion 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 11 of the remainder of Farm Molopo Ranch. As such, the tender attracted 120 bidders as follows; 39 for Lot 2, 32 for Lot 5, 24 for Lot 7, one for Lot 8, 12 each for Lot numbers 9 and 11. 

The selection criteria, he said, followed the Invitation to Tender (ITT) document and bidders were subjected to three stages of evaluation process being administration, technical and interview compliance.

Dr Dikoloti said the administrative stage involved assessment of the bids for compliance with tender submission requirements, while the technical component consisted of evaluation of the bid in terms of project proposal (feasibility, marketing, viability, management plan and capital investment) financial capacity to undertake the project and citizen employment creation.

Parliament heard that this part of the evaluation weighed 70 per cent of the total evaluation score while the third stage, the interview entailed interaction with the top three bidders from each Lot who obtained the highest score of at least 60 per cent in stage two.

Dr Dikoloti said the interview section, which weighed 30 per cent of the total score, involved a set of six questions, which were standard for all short-listed bidders. The session, he said, was conducted for a period of one hour for each bidder, including former president Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi which for him the interview was done at the State House.

Under Lot 2 which the former president applied for, he said there were 39 bidders of which 20 of the bidders failed the administrative compliance while 19 qualified for the technical evaluation stage, wherein scored less than 60 per cent thus failing the technical evaluation stage.

Furthermore, he said the remaining seven who scored 60 per cent and above proceeded to the final stage. Of the seven who proceeded to the final stage, Dr Dikoloti stated that only the top three were selected for the interview as per the ITT.

“This means an additional four bidders fell off and of the top three, two were out-bided at the interview and final stage by former president to win the award for Lot number 2 of the remainder of Farm Molopo Ranch 1-JN,” he said.

The portion allocated to the former president, Dr Masisi, he said was 4 946.7890 hectares and its sub lease period was 15 years effective April 1, 2020 terminating on the 31st July 2035.

The expiry of the sub-lease period and a subject to the renewal of the head lease and the sub- lessee being in full compliance with the terms and conditions of the Agreement, the sub-lessee would be entitled to renew on existing terms and conditions.

Dr Dikoloti said that would be per updated business plans for a further period of 15 years in line with the original tender documents provided the lease was extended for that period. He said 38 Batswana tendered for Lot 2 and 20 of them failed the administrative compliance mainly due to failure to duly complete returnable documents. Companies on the other hand, he said failed due to submission of non-audited finances.

Of the 19 Batswana who proceeded to the technical stage, the Parliament heard that 12 scored less than 60 per cent thus failing the technical evaluation stage while six who scored 60 per cent and above proceeded to the final stage.

Of the six who proceeded to the 3rd and final stage, only top two were selected to join the former president for interview as per ITT and they were out-bided by the former president.

“Justice should not only be done, but it should be seen to be done. My conscience tells me that the selection and evaluation process were somehow met, and the basis for award was that ‘the tender will be awarded to the bidder with the highest score, for each portion of the farm applied for,” he added.

Dr Dikoloti acknowledged that the process had been followed notwithstanding that his conscience does not allow him to say it was beyond reproach as one of the bidders was interviewed at the comfort of his house, the State House, for that matter which on its own was an influencer and could intimidate the evaluation team, hence fairness was compromised.

Apart from technical experts who were part of the evaluation team, he said Office of the President nor the then Ministry of Agriculture were involved in the awarding of the tender citing that Banyana Company had a duly constituted board, which oversaw and gave direction to the company.

The board and its management, he said made the decision independently based on the advice tendered by evaluation team. The minister said technical advice was sought and tendered to Banyana Company, and experts from the then ministries of agriculture and of lands and water affairs were part of the evaluation team.

Molepolole North MP, Mr Arafat Khan had asked the Minister of Lands and Agriculture to state how the former president, Dr Masisi was awarded a tender for the use of Banyana Farms, the number of hectares awarded for use at Banyana and for how long.

He also wanted to know how many Batswana applied for the same piece of land and why they were not successful if the selection process was fair and above reproach. ENDS