The Sunday Mail
Investigations Editor
THE Harare City Council scandal in which US$100 000 was spent to hire 21 vehicles deepened last week as it emerged that the local authority could have spent only US$40 000 to buy its own two cars and saved US$60 000 had it not hired the cars, which were leased without going to tender.
The municipality cancelled the US$40 000 tender (number COH/FD/51/2015) in January, only to hire 21 cars at about US$50 000 per month.
“In 2015, council floated a tender for the procurement of US$40 000 worth of saloon vehicles. Only one response was received. Upon adjudication, it was decided by the procurement committee (which is the responsible authority) that a single response was not to the best advantage to council, especially given the fact that the vehicles were very expensive,” reads part of a council statement by the corporate communications department.
However, some councillors questioned the rationale behind cancelling a US$40 000 tender, only to splash over US$100 000 on rented cars that will never be council property.
Council said it decided in December 2015 to hire the vehicles for revenue collection as an interim measure while it procured its own vehicles.
But some councillors who preferred anonymity queried why finance director, Mr Justin Mandizha and Mayor councillor Bernard Manyenyeni approved such questionable decisions that are being seen as a waste of ratepayers’ money.
Procurement committee sources told The Sunday Mail that Mr Mandizha rail-roaded the committee into cancelling the tender without justifiable reasons.
Asked to explain the cancellation, council said, “Firstly, the tender response to procure the said two vehicles was very poor. We have since made a resubmission to the State Procurement Board for a re-tender. These two vehicles are in no way related to the hired 21 vehicles because they are intended for completely different duties.”
The car hiring scandal also deepened amid revelations that council did not go to tender for the hiring of the vehicles. It is said that Mr Mandizha hand picked a supplier.
However, council said the cars were hired through competitive quotations.
Council has since said that it will flight another tender for the procurement of 21 vehicles since the existing fleet is obsolete.
This has drawn the ire of workers who are saying that Mr Mandizha is failing to prioritise their salaries which lagging behind by five months.
Harare Municipal Workers Union leader, Mr Cosmas Bungu has since appealed to President Mugabe and Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere to intervene and clean up the mess at the municipality.
