Interestingly, the decision comes at a time when the
ministry recently terminated a tender to install an advanced border control
system to enhance security at Zimbabwe’s porous ports of entry and exit.
This week, the Home Affairs ministry flighted a tender
inviting bids for the procurement of 35 brand new Toyota vehicles for its
senior officers after the department cancelled an expression of interest to
procure a modern border control system meant to enhance security at Zimbabwe’s
borders.
Last year, Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe indicated
that the country is prejudiced of US$1,2 billion annually as a result of
mineral smuggling.
Under terms of the tender notice, the ministry intends to
procure 34 Toyota 4×4 double cab diesel-powered off-roaders (2,8 litres) and a
single Toyota 4×4 single cab diesel vehicle (2,4 litres).
The ministry also intends to purchase a brand new Toyota
Quantum minibus. Mnangagwa this week also handed out 18 vehicles to chiefs
after unveiling the statue of Mbuya Nehanda in the capital.
A survey by the Zimbabwe Independent this week shows that a
Toyota 4×4 double cab ranges between US$50 000 and US$60 000.
A fortnight ago, the ministry terminated a tender inviting
suppliers to submit bids for the installation of an Online Border Management
System (OBMS) without specifying the exact reasons why the transaction was shelved.
In a public notice flighted May 16, the ministry noted:
“Notice of cancellation of Expression of Interest for The Provision of Online
Border Management System (OBMS) For the Department of Immigration: Ministry of
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.
“In line with Section 42 of the Public Procurement and
Disposal of Public Assets, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage
has cancelled the Expression of Interest for the design, supply, installation
configuration and implementation of Online Border Management System at all
ports of entry, exit and town offices for the department of Immigration Control
which was advertised on 7 February 2021.”
The notice read: “The cancellation is on account of
significant change in the technical details of the procurement requirements,
circumstances which have led to the cancellation of the Expression of
Interest.”
Cancellation of the multi-million-dollar tender for the
installation of the modern border management system came in the wake of a spate
of gold smuggling cases through the lax Robert Mugabe International Airport.
Earlier this month, South Africa’s Hawks crime crack unit
arrested Tashinga Masinire at the OR Tambo Airport while attempting to smuggle
an R11-million gold contraband. Masinire, who is due to appear in court in
South Africa on July 2, had booked a flight at the Robert Mugabe International
Airport travelling to South Africa.
Last year, the Military Intelligence Department (MID) also
nabbed Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) president Henrietta Rushwaya at the
Robert Mugabe International Airport as she attempted to smuggle 6kg of gold
worth US$366 000 to Dubai.
Last week, an official at the home affairs ministry could
not explain the specific “significant change in the technical details of the
procurement requirements” leading to the cancellation of the tender to procure
the OBMS.
The official, who requested anonymity, referred this
reporter to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, which
specifies circumstances under which procurement entities can terminate tenders.
Section 42 of the legislation outlines six reasons which a
procuring entity can invoke to terminate a tender.
An entity can reverse a tender if the “need for the
procurement has ceased to exist or changed significantly, insufficient funding
is available for the procurement and if there is a significant change in the
technical details of the procurement requirement, or in the bidding conditions,
contractual terms or other particulars so that the procurement proceedings need
to be recommenced.”
A tender can also be reversed if no responsive bids are
received; there is evidence of collusion among bidders; and if “it is otherwise
in the public interest.”
For cancelling the tender to procure the technologically
advanced border management system, the Home Affairs ministry noted that there
was “a significant change in the technical details of the procurement
requirement”.
At the time of going to print, the ministry could not
explain the specific changes in the technical details of the procurement
requirement, necessitating the cancellation.
The immigration department, which was directly going to
manage the border management system, referred questions posed by the Zimbabwe
Independent to the Home Affairs ministry.
An investigation by the Independent revealed that the
border online management system drew overwhelming interest from leading players
in the border control management and aviation industry, particularly from China
and the United States.
The investigation shows that US-based Securiport also
submitted a bid for the lucrative tender.
A perusal of Securiport’s website shows that the firm
prides itself as: “a trusted leader throughout the border security community”.
Installation of the advanced border management system has
become a convoluted process, with top government officials reportedly
manoeuvring to strategically position their preferred suitors. Zimbabwe
Independent
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