South African Airport Authority on Defensive After Biometrics Glitch, Contract Controversy

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) confirmed on Saturday that a technical glitch in a newly implemented biometric and digital identity systems caused significant delays at King Shaka International Airport.

The Biometric Movement Control System (BMCS), introduced in the last few weeks, faced post-implementation challenges, resulting in long queues in immigration areas. ACSA’s spokesperson, Ernest Mulibana, stated that efforts are underway to improve the situation by increasing bandwidth and reducing manual passenger processing. The Department of Home Affairs and the Border Management Authority are collaborating to address these issues at King Shaka, OR Tambo, and Cape Town International Airports.

The delays at King Shaka International Airport occur amid a broader legal dispute concerning the tender award for the biometric system. The contract, valued at R115 million, had been awarded to IDEMIA, with the requirement that 30 percent of the contract be subcontracted to a South African, black-owned Exempted Micro Enterprise (EME) or Qualified Small Enterprise (QSE). Local BEE firm InfoVerge, initially partnered with IDEMIA, alleges that it was excluded from the project after the tender was secured. InfoVerge has taken ACSA and IDEMIA to court, seeking to halt the contract and challenge the award process.

ACSA has responded to these allegations, asserting that its procurement processes were transparent and followed industry standards. ACSA explained that prior to the tender, it conducted industry research to develop specifications for the biometric system. Despite its attempts to mediate the dispute between IDEMIA and InfoVerge, the two companies failed to reach an amicable resolution. ACSA emphasized that the legal challenge is a contractual dispute between the two firms and does not involve any irregularities in its own procurement procedures.

InfoVerge’s legal challenge is based on the claim that its BEE status was exploited to win the tender, only for IDEMIA to exclude it from the project post-award. InfoVerge asserts that it was promised a minimum of 30 percent of the contract’s value and has submitted further evidence to support its case.

ACSA says it remains committed to resolving the technical issues at King Shaka International Airport and has apologized for the inconvenience caused to passengers. And as the legal dispute continues, ACSA maintains that it acted appropriately and within the guidelines of its procurement policies. The resolution of both the system’s technical problems and the legal challenge will be closely monitored by stakeholders and the public.

Sources: JacarandaFM, SABC News, IOL

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August 5, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy

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