The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has defended its decision to award a R1.8 billion fire-fighting contract to Tefla Group, despite an ongoing legal dispute with the previous contractor, Working on Fire, and public scrutiny over the tender process and departmental underperformance.

Legal Dispute And Tender Process Concerns

Working on Fire, which previously held the contract, filed a challenge at the North Gauteng High Court, alleging that DFFE allowed Tefla Group to amend its tax compliance status after the bidding deadline, and materially changed procurement conditions without reopening competition. The High Court has reserved judgment on the case as of 19 May 2026.

“The applicant’s complaint is that the department materially altered the scope, pricing assumptions, mobilisation assumptions, implementation assumptions and competitive conditions underpinning the procurement process, without reopening competition,” Working on Fire’s legal representatives argued in court. According to the DFFE, the R1.8 billion contract was awarded to Tefla Group from 1 August 2026 to 5 January 2028 after a court-ordered re-evaluation in April 2025.

Departmental Budget Pressures And Operational Implications

The DFFE’s budget for the 2026/27 financial year is R9.13 billion, a reduction of 3.5% from the previous year, according to a parliamentary budget vote report. The department has drawn criticism following reports that only 18% of this budget had been spent by the end of the first quarter and 38% by the second quarter, raising concerns about its operational effectiveness.

The department stated, “Delaying implementation of the award could undermine national wildfire-response readiness and affect EPWP employment linked to the programme.” The DFFE also clarified it was not aware of any subcontracting between Tefla and Kishugu Aviation and confirmed a previous helicopter incident involving Kishugu occurred under a separate contractual arrangement.

Judgment in the tender dispute remains pending. The contract’s execution is set to begin on 1 August 2026, unless the court rules otherwise.