Harare City bosses denied bail over tender

Four Harare City officials were denied bail by Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa for allegedly awarding a US$9 million tender to Juluka Endo company for streetlight rehabilitation without proper procedures. 
The officials, Never Murerwa (62), Jabulani Mukomazi (44), Denford Zhungu (69), and Tawanda Mutenhabundo (29), face charges of criminal abuse of office for awarding the contract to an ineligible company.
Magistrate Gofa ruled that releasing the accused could jeopardize ongoing investigations, as they previously misrepresented the location of requested documents. The chief executive of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) had not authorized the re-tendering for Juluka Endo.

Investigations revealed that the accused had communication with individuals like Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, the latter being Juluka Endo's largest shareholder. Both Chimombe and Mpofu were denied bail on separate fraud charges, further influencing the decision to deny bail.

The case dates back to January when the City of Harare decided to rehabilitate streetlights for the upcoming 44th SADC Summit. PRAZ granted specific exemptions for key projects, leading to a tender process in March. Although Juluka Endo was initially disqualified for failing to meet requirements, the officials allegedly conspired to award the company two lots, despite its poor track record.

Acting on the officials' recommendations, the City of Harare entered into a contract with Juluka Endo, preparing an advance payment of US$9,244,328.71. The four officials were remanded to August 7 for a routine hearing.