$2 billion Zimbabwe highway project raises eyebrows

Lack of transparency in the selection of the winning bidder for multi-billion Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare-Chirundu highway dualisation project has raise fears that apart from being over-valued, the project may be awarded to an undeserving bidder.

This follows recent pronouncements by Transport minister, Joram Gumbo that a special committee chaired by VP Emmerson Mnangagwa will shortly be coming up with the winner for the tender to dualise the highway.

The process is being carried outside the standard State Procurement processes. However the process is being carried out in secrecy and the increasing projected costs have raised suspicion among industry players that a "winner" could have been in place before a decisions was made.

Sources have also said some government officials with interests in the project had arm-twisted ZimHighways into withdrawing a court case in which it was fightin government over the arbitrary cancellation of its tender.