Supreme Court rules that Novus continues to print and distribute school books
Although the contract was deemed constitutionally invalid, disrupting it would be unjust and inequitable for those teaching and learning
The Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that JSE-listed print and manufacturing company Novus must continue to print and distribute millions of workbooks to 24,000 public schools across the country until March 2020, although the awarding of the estimated R3bn contract was deemed constitutionally invalid. The court’s ruling is the latest in a three-year long legal battle triggered by the department of basic education’s decision in 2016 to award the country’s biggest printing and distribution contract to Novus’s Lebone Consortium. The contract, for printing and delivering workbooks for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 academic years, commenced in 2017 and was due to run to March 2020, with an option to extend it for an additional two years. The legal action was launched by the losing bidder Caxton JV, which claimed its bid had been treated in an unequal manner when assessed on the “functionality” criteria. The bidders had to attain a minimum score of 80% for functionality to qualify for further ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.