HEALTH and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro has denied interfering in the bidding process for the supply of Covid-19 related materials by Young Health Care to the National Pharmaceutical Company (Natpharm) saying he only convened a meeting at night in August this year to establish what was causing delays at a time when infections were surging.
In a statement released yesterday, Dr Mangwiro described
allegations that he abused office in the awarding of a contract to Young Health
Care Limited for the procurement of Covid-19 supplies as malicious, mischievous
and calculated to cause alarm, despondency and sensationalise the public.
“It is not correct that I interfered with the bidding
process. On August 14 2020 at around 2100 hours I received a phone call from
the Hon Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care. He wanted me to
get an update on what was causing the delays to the procurement of the Covid-19
requirements.
“I could not sleep over an emergency and as such I called
(acting Natpharm managing director) Mr Zealous Nyabadza to urgently convene a
meeting to appraise me on what was causing the delays. I attended the meeting
on August 14 2020 in the company of MoHCC legal advisor Ms S Chikati. The adjudication
process had already been completed on August 13 2020. I did not attend the
meeting to review any tender processes as this had already been completed.
“I informed the meeting that I wanted to get an update on
the availability of the PCR Machine and PCR Test kits arising out of the bids.
Mr Z Nyabadza explained that Young Health Care Limited had won the tender to
supply some of the equipment,” said Dr Mangwiro.
The Deputy Minister’s statement comes as the Zimbabwe
Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) is investigating claims by a whistle-blower
that he had personal interest in the awarding of a tender to Young Health Care
and tried to arm-twist workers at Natpharm to award the tender without
following due process.
Dr Mangwiro said his ministry did not give orders to
Natpharm in the procurement processes, and that their intervention was to push
for the expeditious delivery of the equipment since it was a health emergency.
“It is not correct that the MoHCC gave numerous directives
to Natpharm Management to make a direct procurement of supplies from Young
Health Care Limited which resulted in the delay of the procurement. The correct
position is that by the letter dated 15 July 2020, the acting Secretary for
Health and Child Care (Dr Gibson Mhlanga) wrote to Natpharm requesting purchase
of Covid-19 PCR test reagents on urgent basis from Young Health Care Limited.
“The request was justified on two grounds. Firstly, the
urgency was necessitated by a need to facilitate implementation of national
testing strategy since the country was experiencing a sharp spike of Covid-19
cases and was unable to meet demand.
Secondly, the Ministry wanted to mitigate the exorbitant freight charges
by utilising the Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care chartered
plane. The plane was in China and coming back to Zimbabwe at no additional
cost.”
Citing Section 33(1) of the Public Procurement and Disposal
of Public Assets Act (PPDPA), Dr Mangwiro said the law does not prohibit a procuring
entity to conduct direct procurement in cases of extreme urgency and those
unforeseen by the procuring entity or where procurement requirement cannot be
obtained in time in accordance to competitive bidding.
“I deny the allegation that I delayed the procurement. “I
wish to state that the delay was attributed to the conduct of the acting
managing director for Natpharm Mr Nyabadza. By letter dated 21st July 2020 Mr
Nyabadza clandestinely wrote to PRAZ (Procurement Regulatory Authority of
Zimbabwe) requesting that the tender be treated as a competitive international
tender instead of a direct procurement
“Mr. Nyabadza did not communicate with the Permanent
Secretary that Natpharm had opted to procure the equipment using a competitive
procurement method instead of conducting a direct procurement method.
“The thinking of the Ministry was that Natpharm would apply
for the authorisation from PRAZ for a direct procurement as requested by the
Ministry, in line with Section 15(1) of the PPDPA Act. This is because from
prior communication with Mr Nyabadza, he did not object to the Ministry’s
request for a direct procurement from Young Health Care Limited,” he said.
On allegations that he usurped powers of the then Permanent
Secretary of the Health Ministry Dr Mhlanga, the Deputy Minister said he only
got involved because the accounting officer was not available during the
emergency.
“The Permanent Secretary should have accompanied me to the
meeting but he was engaged on other assignments. The Permanent Secretary was
fully aware of the intended meeting since I had briefed him.”
Dr Mangwiro denied allegations that he ordered a prepayment
to Young Health company saying it was the vice chairman of the Ad-Hoc
Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19, Professor Amon Murwira when he was
acting Health Minister, who directed the payment of delivered items.
“I deny the allegation that I directed Natpharm to make a
prepayment to Young Health Care Limited for the undelivered supplies contrary
to the terms and conditions of the contract signed between Natpharm and Young
Health Care Limited. The correct position is that Hon Prof Amon Murwira
specifically stated that the payment should be for the items delivered, of
which US$127 000 was to be paid out of the US$922 000 stipulated in the
contract. The directive was given in the presence of the Permanent Secretary
for Health and Child Care, Mr Z Nyabadza and myself, and was done in the office
of Hon Murwira.” Herald
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