THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment has summoned a local consultancy firm, Tripple Bottom Line Consultancy (3BLC), to appear before it today to shed light on how it was hired to do consultancy work for the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, amid concerns the deal was sealed illegally.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
3BL is owned by Thandiwe Ngwenya, who is believed to be a close ally of Indigenisation minister Patrick Zhuwao.
Part of the invitation letter signed by Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda read: “As part of the committee’s ongoing oversight mandate, the committee invites you to a meeting on Thursday May 19 2016 . . . The purpose of the meeting is for you to shed light on the consultancy work you did for the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.”
The committee also wants Ngwenya to bring tender advertisements which culminated in 3BL being awarded the contract, terms of reference for the job done and details of payments made to her by the ministry or other government departments.
“Kindly bring all minutes of meetings held with the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, government departments and any other company on the subject matter,” the Justice Mayor Wadyajena-led committee said.
The probe was triggered by Zanu PF activist, Acie Lumumba’s claims that Ngwenya had illegally won the contract because of her proximity to Zhuwao, allegations the minister has dismissed as false.
