Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified service provider to supply and operate a 21-ton wheeled excavator for a twelve-day period. The equipment will be deployed specifically to undertake grave excavation works across four designated cemetery sites under a comprehensive rental arrangement.

Scope of Work

The successful bidder must deliver end-to-end rental and operational services, including:

• Provision of one 21-ton wheeled excavator on a full-maintenance rental basis.
• Deployment of a suitably qualified and legally licensed machine operator.
• Execution of eight operational hours per day, Monday through Friday, over a twelve-day contract period.
• Supply of all required fuel for the duration of the engagement.
• Immediate provision of a replacement unit during mechanical breakdowns, repairs, tyre replacements, or insurance-related downtime.
• Transportation and site establishment of the equipment to four specified cemetery locations.
• Submission of a formal written quotation valid for at least ninety days from the closing date, inclusive of VAT where applicable.

Technical Requirements

The excavator must strictly meet or exceed the following minimum specifications:

• Vehicle Type: 21-ton wheeled excavator
• Engine: Turbocharged diesel engine with a minimum output of 122 kilowatts
• Operating Weight: Minimum 21 tons
• Steering: Power or hydraulic steering system
• Brakes: Power-assisted hydraulic wet disc brakes, mounted inboard, self-adjusting, and self-equalizing
• Tyres: Industrial-grade Off-The-Road (OTR) tyres
• Digging Bucket: Custom 80mm width bucket specifically engineered for standard grave excavation dimensions

Skills & Operational Requirements

While not explicitly itemized as standalone competencies, the tender implicitly requires the following capabilities:

• Certified heavy machinery operators with valid licensing and proven experience in cemetery or sensitive ground excavation.
• In-house technical and maintenance teams capable of performing routine servicing, rapid fault diagnosis, and immediate breakdown response to ensure zero downtime.
• Logistics expertise for safe transportation, rigging, and site establishment across multiple municipal locations.
• Administrative proficiency to compile mandatory compliance documentation, including tax pin certificates, Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration, Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) verification, municipal account clearance, and standardized municipal bidding declarations.

Explanation of Unusual or Complicated Terms

• Full-Maintenance Rental Basis: The supplier assumes complete financial and operational responsibility for all routine servicing, major repairs, spare parts, tyre replacements, and insurance premiums throughout the contract period. The municipality incurs no additional costs for equipment upkeep or unexpected failures.
• Wet Rate: A bundled pricing model that consolidates machine hire, operator wages, fuel consumption, insurance, and general maintenance into a single daily rate. This eliminates separate billing for consumables or labor.
• Two Percent Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Levy: A mandatory contractual clause requiring the successful bidder to consent to a two percent deduction from each submitted invoice. These withheld funds are directly allocated by the municipality to fund local community development initiatives, including education, socio-economic programs, sports, arts, and support for marginalized groups.
• Specific Goals Preference Points: An evaluation mechanism granting up to twenty points to bidders who can prove at least fifty-one percent black ownership and fifty-one percent female ownership within their company structure. Claims must be substantiated via certified B-BBEE certificates, sworn affidavits, or CSD registration summaries.
• Municipal Bidding Documents (MBDs): Standardized South African government forms mandating transparency and ethical procurement. These include declarations confirming no conflict of interest, verification of no prior supply chain misconduct or fraud convictions, and certification that bids were determined independently without collusion among competing firms.