GWERU TOWN CLERK ARRESTED OVER TENDER SCAM

Acting Gweru Town Clerk and former magistrate Vakai Douglas Chikwekwe was yesterday morning arrested by investigators of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on allegations of criminal abuse of duty after he allegedly awarded tenders in 2020 for development in Mkoba without following due processes.

He later appeared in court where he was remanded out of custody to March 27 on $100 000 bail.

Chikwekwe (56) was represented by Mr Tonderai Chitere, of Chitere, Chidawanyika and Partners.

He was ordered to report once every fortnight at the ZACC offices in Gweru as part of bail conditions.

The State case against Chikwekwe is, in 2020, Gweru City Council wanted to develop and service Mkoba 21 stands and on 29 May 2020, the Council gazetted an invitation of expression of interest for tender number COG/01/06/2020

Eight prospective bidders submitted their applications and on June 30, 2020, the technical evaluation committee recommended that Sheasham Investments, Casas Properties and Wackdrive Pvt Ltd be short-listed as they were compliant with the mandatory requirements.

On July 3, 2020, the procurement management unit committee chaired by Chikwekwe as acting town clerk approved this short-listing recommendation by the technical evaluation committee and in turn recommended that the tender be submitted to the special procurement oversight committee. Chikwekwe did this on July 29, 2020.

But then, submits the State, Chikwekwe was supposed to obtain clearance from that oversight committee.

Instead, he proceeded to award contracts to the three short-listed bidders on August 18, 2020 without that clearance in contravention of Section 94 (3) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of the Public Assets Act (General) Regulations published as SI 5 of 2018 which required certification by the oversight committee before awarding a contract.

Two days after the contract award, on August 20, 2020, the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe wrote a letter directing the acting Town Clerk to collect bids, extend bid validity, correct the evaluation reports and submit the revised evaluation reports which showed that the special procurement oversight committee had not certified the awarding of the contracts to the three developers.

Chikwekwe allegedly acted inconsistently or contrary to his duties as accounting officer for the City of Gweru by awarding contracts for the servicing of Mkoba 21 stands to the three bidders without clearance from the oversight committee thereby showing favour to the three land developers, the State told the court.

Mr Fredrick Matsheza appeared for the state. Herald

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