Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. GOVERNMENT may have lost thousands of dollars in inflated bills and fraudulent tenders to unregistered traders working in cahoot with government officials, NewsDay Weekender can reveal.
It is understood that exorbitant charges for accommodation were levied on government and in some cases, some rooms cost close to US$1 000 for three days at lodges in the Midlands province.
Some business people not meeting minimum requirements to supply government were awarded tenders in deals that expose flawed and corrupt processes.
At the moment, Gokwe North police are investigating theft of ZiG400 000 meant to buy food at the celebrations held at Nembudziya Growth Point on April 18 this year.
It is suspected officials connived to pay an unregistered supplier, who never delivered food meant for Zimbabwe’s 45th birthday feast.
Instead, those officials and the businessman allegedly shared the money, prompting the case to be opened under CID Nembudziya ER 03/25.
Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko referred all questions to the national office in Harare.
Yesterday, a top Gokwe government official (name supplied) said he was coming out of a meeting and he would call back.
“I am coming out of a meeting and now that I have your number, I will call you,” he promised to return the call.
He is accused of giving a villager (name supplied) from Sando village a ZiG400 000 tender to supply food despite that he used someone’s details and his own account number to complete the transaction.
The villager allegedly did not supply the food and did not refund government.
Eyebrows have also been raised on accommodation tenders awarded to a Harare man by another official (name supplied), who allegedly approved some rooms each costing as much as US$906 for three days, when converted from ZiG.
The tender was for 201 rooms meant for dignitaries, for which a whooping equivalent of US$182 179 was paid for the three days, meaning a single room cost US$302 per day.
In one transaction, the winner of the tender (name supplied) was allegedly paid ZiG3 550 561, equivalent to US$101 444,60, for 61 rooms for the same three-day period, meaning each room cost US$554 a day.
Some stakeholders in Gokwe have complained about the slow pace of investigations into the shady deals.
Asked to respond, Local Government ministry director for communications and advocacy Gabriel Masvora asked for written questions, but was yet to respond by the time of going to print last night.
Government this year held independence celebrations in Gokwe in line with its policy to spread the activities to all parts of the country, including remote areas.
Next year’s celebrations have already been earmarked for Kezi’s Maphisa Growth Point in Matabeleland South province.
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