A comparative study of the effectiveness of bidder remedies in South Africa and Nigeria

Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The Guide to Enactment identified that a bidder remedies system helps to make procurement law to “an important degree self-policing and self-enforcing”. This is because it provides an avenue to litigate for bidders that have interest in monitoring procuring entities’ compliance with the procurement rules. In an attempt to protect their rights or to remedy the injury caused by breach of procurement rules, bidders act as “private attorney generals” to enforce compliance. Bidder remedies regime is an integral part of the public procurement systems of many countries in Africa. Nigeria and South Africa are examples of African countries that have such regimes. Bidder remedies have assumed an academic and practical importance due to the actual and perceived role that it plays in the proper functioning of a public procurement system. Although research interest in bidder remedies has been on the increase globally, only a negligible portion of the research focuses on Africa. The information gap that exists due to the availability of very little academic information on bidder remedies in Africa remains to be filled, by detailed research. This study fills this information gap by undertaking an in-depth comparative analysis of the bidder remedies systems of Nigeria and South Africa, and assessing their effectiveness using clearly identified yardsticks/elements. The key research question which this study addressed towards achieving the above, was: “Whether the bidder remedies regimes of South Africa and Nigeria are effective for the enforcement of public procurement rules?” This study was conducted by way of doctrinal legal analysis. The study adopted a comparative approach in analysing the bidder remedies systems of South Africa and Nigeria, with a view to assessing their respective effectiveness in enforcing public procurement law. Analytical references were made to the bidder remedies regimes provided under international regulatory regimes, such as the UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement. The primary materials which this study relied on are relevant legislation and case laws from both jurisdictions. Similarities as well as striking differences exist between the South African and Nigerian bidder remedies regimes, which made the systems suitable for a comparative study. The study established that the bidder remedies systems of both countries are reasonably effective, although this is undermined by certain legal and structural factors. The key finding is that the design of bidder remedies systems affects their effectiveness. Thus, based on this and the lessons obtained from studying the two systems, this work towards the end presented a blueprint for any country wishing to design or redesign its remedies systems.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die Guide to Enactment het bevind dat 'n bieër-remediesisteem help om die verkrygingsreg 'n belangrike mate van selfpolisiëring en self-afdwinging te maak. Dit is omdat dit 'n laan bied vir die bieërs wat belang het in die monitering van die verkryging van entiteite se nakoming van die verkrygingsreëls. In 'n poging om hul regte te beskerm of om die besering wat veroorsaak word deur die skending van die verkrygingsreëls te verhelp, tree bieërs op as "private prokureur generaals" om nakoming te handhaaf. Bieërremedie regime is 'n integrale deel van die openbare verkryging stelsels van baie lande in Afrika. Nigerië en Suid-Afrika is voorbeelde van Afrika-lande wat sulke regimes het. Bieërremedies het 'n akademiese en praktiese belang aangeneem as gevolg van die werklike en waargenome rol wat dit speel in die behoorlike funksionering van 'n openbare verkrygingsisteem. Alhoewel navorsingsbelang in bieërmedisyne wêreldwyd aan die toeneem is, fokus slegs 'n onbeduidende gedeelte van die navorsing op Afrika. Die inligtingsgaping wat bestaan weens die beskikbaarheid van baie min akademiese inligting oor bieërmedisyne in Afrika, moet nog gevul word deur gedetailleerde navorsing. Hierdie studie vul hierdie inligtingsgaping deur 'n in-diepte vergelykende analise van die bieër-remediesisteme van Nigerië en Suid-Afrika te onderneem en die effektiwiteit daarvan te assesseer deur gebruik te maak van duidelik geïdentifiseerde maatstawwe / elemente. Die sleutelnavorsingsvraag wat hierdie studie aangespreek het om bogenoemde te bereik, was: "Of die bodemremedieregimes van Suid-Afrika en Nigerië effektief is vir die handhawing van reëls vir openbare verkryging?" Hierdie studie is deur middel van leerstellige regsanalise uitgevoer. Die studie het 'n vergelykende benadering aangewend om die bieërremediesisteme van Suid-Afrika en Nigerië te ontleed met die oog op die beoordeling van hul onderskeie effektiwiteit in die afdwinging van die wet op die verkryging van openbare aankope. Analitiese verwysings is gemaak aan die bieër regstellings regimes wat voorsien word onder internasionale regulatoriese regimes, soos die UNCITRAL Model Wet op Openbare Verkryging. Die primêre materiaal waarop hierdie studie berus, is relevante wetgewing en regspraak van beide jurisdiksies. Gelykhede sowel as opvallende verskille bestaan tussen die Suid-Afrikaanse en Nigeriese bodemremedie-regimes, wat die stelsels geskik gemaak het vir 'n vergelykende studie. Die studie het bevind dat die bieër-remedies-stelsels van beide lande redelik effektief is, hoewel dit deur sekere regs- en strukturele faktore ondermyn word. Die sleutelbevinding is dat die ontwerp van bieërmedisyne stelsels hul effektiwiteit beïnvloed. Op grond van hierdie en die lesse wat verkry is om die twee stelsels te bestudeer, het hierdie werk tot die einde 'n bloudruk voorgestel vir enige land wat sy remediesisteem wil ontwerp of herontwerp