A ZIMBABWE Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) report says Deputy Health Minister John Mangwiro should face the music over a tender scam involving US$5.6 million.
Mangwiro, it has been reported, allegedly used his undue influence in favour of an undeserving company which offered Covid-19 equipment and other medicines.
The revelations were triggered by an anonymous letter filed at ZACC alleging that the top government official caused the awarding of a tender to a Young Healthcare Limited whose products were said to be sub-standard and did not meet World Health Organisation and FDA specifications.
The company was accused of making price quotes which were higher than other competitors offering WHO approved products.
The under-fire minister was also accused of convening a meeting with the tenders’ adjudication team on whom he piled pressure and threatened with dismissal if they failed to approve the tender.
In its findings, ZACC found Mangwiro liable to non-compliance with provisions of Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe Circular 1 of 2020 and gross violations of the Public Finance Management Act and the Public Entities 5 Corporate Governance Act.
The report says Mangwiro issued numerous directives to National Pharmaceutical (Natpharm) Company, a government owned company that procures warehouses and distributes medicines and medical supplies to the health sector.
“A letter from the then Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Mhlanga dated 15 July 2020, instructing Nat-Pharm to make direct procurement of supplies from Young Health Care (attached) was issued when the company was not registered with PRAZ,” ZACC said.
The anti-corruption organ’s report said this was despite the fact that Mangwiro does not have authority to issue directives to Natpharm.
The report notes that the initial quotation by Young Health Care for supply of commodities under direct procurement, where prices quoted by the firm were exorbitant, amounted to US$5 600 000-00.
This, coincidentally, was the same amount that was in the ministry coffers’, suggesting that the company had inside information.
“When Nat-Pharm insisted on competitive bidding, Young Health Care Limited subsequently submitted a bid price of USD$3 600 000-00 for the same items. This saw a reduction of 36% in the price,” ZACC said in the report.
The report also observed that the tender was only floated for 48hrs instead of 40 working days under normal circumstances, resulting in 22 bidders participating.
