Panel of legal attorneys for umkhanyakude district municipality – 3-Year appointment

Closing date: Monday, 05 October 2026 at 12h00 midday. Compulsory site inspection and briefing meeting: 11 September 2026 at 09h00, at uMkhanyakude District Municipality main office (Council Chamber). Attendance is mandatory and the Site Inspection/Tender Briefing Certificate must be completed and signed at the meeting. Bid documents available from 04 September 2026. No enquiries will be attended to within the last three calendar days before closing.

A compulsory site inspection and briefing meeting will be held at UMkhanyakude District Municipality main office (Council Chamber) on 11 September 2026 at 09:00am. Attendance is mandatory and the Site Inspection/Tender Briefing Certificate must be completed and signed at the meeting.

Technical enquiries: Adv. T Khuzwayo, Office of the Municipal Manager, Tel: 035 573 8600, Email: [email protected]. Administrative queries: Mr S.B. Buthelezi, Manager Supply Chain Management, Tel: 035 573 8600, Email: [email protected]. Bidding procedure enquiries: Mr SB Buthelezi, Tel: 035 573 8643, Email: [email protected]. Submission address: Tender Box, uMkhanyakude District Municipality, 13433 Kingfisher Avenue, Mkuze, KwaZulu-Natal.

Bids must be submitted in hard copy, in sealed envelopes, endorsed with the project name and bid number, and deposited in the Tender Box at uMkhanyakude District Municipality, 13433 Kingfisher Avenue, Mkuze, by 12h00 midday on 05 October 2026. Late, faxed, emailed, or electronically submitted bids will not be accepted. Bids must be completed in black ink, with all corrections countersigned; correction fluid is prohibited. All pages must be signed or initialled. The following returnable forms and documents must be completed and signed: MBD 1 (Invitation to Bid), MBD 3.1 & 3.2 (Pricing Schedules), MBD 4 (Declaration of Interest), MBD 5 (Declaration for procurement above R10 million), MBD 6.1 (Preference Points Claim), MBD 7.2 (Contract Form – Rendering of Services), MBD 8 (Declaration of Past SCM Practices), MBD 9 (Certificate of Independent Bid Determination), Authority of Signatory or board resolution, Schedule of Quantities, and the Site Inspection/Tender Briefing Certificate. Failure to submit any compulsory document will disqualify the bid.

Tender submission checklist: complete document in black ink, counter-sign corrections, price all rates, submit all required information, attend compulsory briefing and sign certificate, complete and sign all declarations, complete and sign Tender Form, complete and sign Special Goals Claim Form, attach EME certificate if applicable, attach valid Tax Clearance Status Verification Pin, submit CSD Supplier Number and Unique Registration Reference Number (not older than 3 months), attach proof of payment of municipal services or lease agreement, and submit all required information for claiming specific goals (ID copy, company registration, full CSD report, medical certificate if disabled).

Evaluation is in three stages: Stage 1 – Eligibility Criteria (pre-screening); Stage 2 – Functionality; Stage 3 – 80/20 Special Goals System. Functionality criteria and points: Qualified Admitted Attorneys 30%, Attorney Experience 30%, Debt Collection Personnel 20%, Plant, Equipment, Tools & Machinery 20%. Minimum functionality score required: 70%. The 80/20 system allocates 80 points to price and 20 points to specific goals. Specific goals (each worth 4 points): enterprise owned by Black people (≥51%), enterprise owned by Women (≥51%), enterprise owned by Youth, enterprise owned by Disabled Persons, and enterprise owned by SMMEs (QSE and EME). Supporting documentation must be submitted to claim specific goals; failure to do so means no preference points are awarded.

The panel covers four areas of law: (a) Litigation and General Advisory – Public and Municipal law, Constitutional law, Supply Chain Management, Commercial law, Intellectual Property, Eviction Services (PIE and ESTA), Insurance law and Debt collection; (b) Conveyancing, Town Planning, Environmental and Property law; (c) Forensic Services; (d) Labour Law, including Local Government Collective Agreement matters. Litigation and General Advisory scope includes drafting court documents, opposing urgent applications, discovery, interviewing witnesses, managing pre-trial conferences, settlement negotiation, executing writs, and related services. Eviction services require extensive capacity and experience, including facilitating engagements, court appearances, preparing housing reports, and appointing mediators or senior counsel. Insurance law services include ensuring guarantees and insurance policies meet requirements and facilitating engagements. Debt collection services include SMS/WhatsApp, telephone calls, letters of demand, summons, judgments, credit listing, attachment, court appearances, sale in execution, tracing debtors on a 'no trace no charge' basis, monthly progress reports, and weekly feedback meetings. The Municipality intends to award the debt collection section to one service provider, with the second highest bidder as alternative. Conveyancing services include drafting by-laws and policies, and property transactions. Forensic services include investigations into misconduct, auditor-general findings, fraud and corruption.

Scope of services for Litigation and General Advisory (Category A): drafting court documents, opposing urgent applications, discovery, interviewing witnesses, managing pre-trial conferences, settlement negotiation, executing writs, and other litigation services. For eviction services: facilitating engagements, general litigation, court appearances, preparing housing reports, appointing mediators or senior counsel, interviewing respondents. For insurance law: ensuring guarantees and insurance policies meet requirements, facilitating engagements. For conveyancing: preparation and signing of deeds/agreements, negotiation of terms, registration of transfer of land and land rights, bond cancellations, replacement of title deeds. For forensic services: conducting investigations into fraud, corruption, and auditor general findings, including investigations under the Code of Conduct for Councillors.

Minimum requirements for categories: For Litigation and General Advisory, bidders must be suitably qualified and experienced law firms employing admitted attorneys. For eviction and insurance law, bidders must have extensive capacity and experience in those fields. For forensic services, bidders must submit at least three independent bidder references (Annexure B) and proof of registration with a professional body such as ACFE/ICFP or equivalent. For conveyancing, practitioners must have relevant experience in property transactions.

The Pricing Schedule (Annexure E) must be completed and signed. Where an item is not going to be charged, 0.00 must be inserted, not a dash. Prices must be firm and valid for at least 90 days. Prices must specify whether VAT inclusive. Tender rates must be fixed from date of award until end of contract. For bids above R10 million, audited/reviewed annual financial statements for the past three years are required.

Prices must be firm and valid for at least 90 days from the date of offer. Prices must specify whether they are inclusive of VAT (if a VAT vendor). The Pricing Schedule (Annexure E) must be completed and signed; where an item is not charged, 0.00 must be inserted, not a dash. Tender rates must be fixed from date of award until the end of the contract. For bids above R10 million, audited/reviewed annual financial statements for the past three years (or since establishment) are required. The successful bidder will be liable for all duties and costs on legal documents and for surety and retentions.

Bidders must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) and provide the CSD Supplier Number and Unique Registration Reference Number (not older than three months). A valid Tax Clearance Certificate or Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN from SARS is compulsory; each party in a Joint Venture/Consortium must submit their own. Bidders must not be persons in the service of the state. Bidders must be in good standing with municipal accounts – no arrears exceeding three months; a municipal account or lease agreement (not older than three months) must be submitted. For law firms: certified copies of directors' ID, CVs of directors and attorneys, current Fidelity Fund Certificate, letters of good standing from professional bodies for directors and attorneys, bank confirmation letters for trust and business accounts, and registration of directors with IRBA, SAICA, or IIA. Bidders must submit at least three independent bidder references. For specific goals, supporting documentation such as certified ID copies, CSD full report, shareholder certificates, medical certificates (for disabled persons), and proof of residence for rural SMMEs must be provided.

Preference points: 80 for price, 20 for specific goals. Specific goals include: enterprise owned by Black people (≥51%) – 4 points; enterprise owned by Women (≥51%) – 4 points; enterprise owned by Youth – 4 points; enterprise owned by Disabled Persons – 4 points; enterprise owned by SMMEs (QSE and EME) – 4 points. Required documentation for each goal: certified ID copies, CSD full report, shareholder certificate, medical certificate, proof of municipal accounts, affidavit/proof of residence signed by ward councillor (for rural areas), or lease agreement.

Conveyancing, Town Planning, Environmental and Property law (Category B) includes services related to environmental legislation and property transactions. Practitioners must have a good understanding of planning, environmental and other development-related legislative requirements. Only qualified conveyancers with experience in advanced property transactions will be considered for such transfers.

The successful bidder will be expected to sign the Contract Form (Part 1) within 30 days of notification. The tender documents together with the letter of acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement. The municipality may recover costs, losses, or damages if incorrect information is furnished after award. Bids remain valid for 120 days after closing. The municipality reserves the right to withdraw the invitation, re-advertise, reject any bid, or accept part of it. The municipality is not liable for expenses incurred in preparing the bid.

Special conditions: The UMkhanyakude District Municipality SCM Policy applies. Late, incomplete, unsigned, faxed, or emailed bids will not be accepted. Prices must be valid for at least 90 days from date of offer. Prices must be firm and specify whether VAT inclusive. Bidders must indicate registered business address for validation of good standing with municipal accounts. The municipality does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender and reserves the right to accept whole or part. The bid is subject to GCC 2010 and any special conditions.

Compulsory documents include: Tax Clearance Certificate/PIN, certified ID copies of directors, CVs of directors and attorneys, Fidelity Fund Certificate, letters of good standing from professional bodies, bank confirmation letters for trust and business accounts, company registration documents, latest municipal account or lease agreement, CSD full report, completed and signed Schedule of Quantities, authority of signatory or board resolution, MBD 1, MBD 3.1 & 3.2, MBD 4, MBD 5 (for bids above R10 million), audited financial statements for past three years (for bids above R10 million), MBD 6.1, MBD 7.2, MBD 8, MBD 9, and registration of directors with IRBA/SAICA/IIA. Bidders must sign or initial each page and complete documents in full. For Joint Ventures/Consortiums, each party must submit tax clearance, signed declarations, and an undertaking to enter into an agreement.

Technical enquiries: Adv. T Khuzwayo, Office of the Municipal Manager, Tel: 035 573 8600, Email: [email protected]. Administrative queries: Mr S.B. Buthelezi, Manager Supply Chain Management, Tel: 035 573 8600, Email: [email protected]. Bidding procedure enquiries: Mr SB Buthelezi, Tel: 035 573 8643, Email: [email protected]. No enquiries will be attended to within the last three calendar days before closing.