The
controversial plan to give the tender to Discovery Ambulance Services, owned by
David Munowenyu, sharply divided councillors during the council’s last full
council meeting.
Under the
proposed deal, patients would also pay upfront fees for ambulance services - a
"double charge" as they are already paying a monthly fee for
ambulances.
The agreement
has fuelled divisions within the council and backlash from residents.
Munowenyu has
recently been crisis-crossing the country under the presidential medical
outreach programme with his Discovery Ambulance Services.
Harare
Residents Trust director, Precious Shumba, out rightly rejected the deal.
“Privatisation
of public services is not the best way to improve health service delivery,”
Shumba said.
He said with
allegations of corruption and lack of transparency, controversy surrounding the
deal highlights the urgent need for accountable management of public funds and
inclusive decision-making .
"The
Discovery Ambulance Services deal has not been chosen from a competitive
bidding process but has been handpicked based on their unsolicited submission
to the City of Harare,” he said..
“Deals with
financial implications should be transparent and accountable, following
procurement regulations without exception.”
He added:
"The City of Harare has, since the beginning of the year, been collecting
from Harare residents an emergency services levy with the main objective of
purchasing ambulances for the city.
“Unfortunately,
no ambulance has been bought using that revenue stream.”
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA) coordinator, Reuben Akili, accused the council of
systemic corruption, citing the deal’s opaque procurement process.
“It seems the
City of Harare has been captured; accountability and governance should be the
core business of council but it has become a culture by those at the helm of to
be engaged in corruption," he said.
“On the issue
of Discovery Ambulances there has not been proper tendering and there were no
due processes which were followed.”
The council’s
failure to utilise levy funds for ambulances, despite dire shortages, has
eroded public trust.
Harare’s 2.4
million residents rely on just four public ambulances, far below the
international standard of 48
Council
spokesperson Stanley Gama referred questions to mayor Jacob Mafume, who was
unavailable.
Councillor
Denford Ngadziore, a vocal critic, argued that the partnership will unfairly
burden residents, who already pay a monthly US$1 emergency services levy for
ambulances.
He condemned
the non-competitive selection of Discovery Ambulances under unclear
circumstances.
"In as
much he is a Zimbabwean but any public private partnership should benefit the
residents not the other way round,” Ngadziore said.
“This deal will
punish residents twice by paying emergency services levy and cash upfront when
ambulances come to pick patients.
“Deals like
this need serious consultation with residents before passing any resolution or
implementation.”"
The founder and
CEO of Discovery Ambulance, Munowenyu, did not respond to questions sent to
him.
In July, Health
and Child Care minister Douglas Mombeshora, said the government had partnered
with Discovery Ambulance Services to offer a free medical service.
According to
Mombeshora, the partnership operating under the Presidential Emergency Medical
Scheme, the programme is expected to alleviate the ongoing deterioration within
the health sector. Standard
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