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 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. Newsday
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