The State Procurement Board (SPB) yesterday dismissed claims that it lacked transparency in awarding tenders and told Parliament that of the 4 500 tenders the board had processed to date, only one out of 40 contested cases had been reversed by the Administrative Court.
Executive chairman of the board Charles Kuwaza appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Makoni West MP Webber Chinyadza, which had invited him to explain why the SPB was awarding dam construction tenders to indigenous contractors who later failed to deliver.
The committee was making a follow-up on issues that had been raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General in the audit of dam construction projects between the periods 2004 to 2009, where tenders were allocated to indigenous contractors, Multiforce Construction, who failed to complete the projects.
“We only award tenders to contractors who meet the specifications and in some of the cases there is no winner because nobody meets the specifications and the tender has to be redone,” said Kuwaza.
“We have won 99% appeal cases before the Administrative Court and have processed 4 500 tenders with less than 40 appeals, but we only lost one case on a technicality.”
Contractors who were represented by Zimbabwe Institute of Engineers chairman Zebediah Murungweni denied they were incompetent and failed to complete the projects after being awarded tenders and said the problem was late payment for the projects.
Managing director of Multiforce, Zechariah Mukarakate, whose company was accused of failing to complete projects such as the Bubi-Lupane Dam, Mundi-Mataga Dam, Chiwake Dam and the Beitbridge Water Supply project, said they had performed well in all the contracts. He claimed it was government that had not honoured its side of the bargain — failing to pay them for jobs done in 2009.
Another contractor, New Civils Pvt Ltd, represented by Edwin Nhando, said at one time they got a job to do a 900-hectare water project, but even after completing 200 hectares they were not paid a cent.
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“At the time, the amount we were owed in 2006, we were going to buy 20 Mazda B1600 vehicles, but in 2007 when we were eventually paid we were only able to buy four tyres due to late disbursement of funds,” said Nhando.
Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe CEO Charles Chikaura said they paid contractors on behalf of government, and admitted the bank owed money for some projects.
“Current outstanding amounts are $7,3 million for Tokwe Mukorsi Dam and $1,3 million for the Beitbridge Water Supply project,” said Chikaura.
