Tenderpreneurs milking govt dry

The continued rise of politically connected individuals who secure lucrative government contracts despite lacking the capacity to execute them has emerged as one of Zimbabwe's most pressing public procurement challenges, with anti-corruption stakeholders warning that the practice is draining public resources and undermining service delivery.

The issue dominated discussions at a breakfast meeting organised by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) in Harare on Thursday, where representatives from key justice sector institutions reflected on anti-corruption efforts and explored ways of strengthening collaboration in the fight against graft.

The meeting brought together officials from the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA), the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and other stakeholders.

The engagement sought to build on previous anti-corruption initiatives by promoting dialogue, institutional cooperation and knowledge sharing aimed at strengthening Zimbabwe's integrity systems.

Chief Nhema, born Rangarirai Bwawanda, expressed concern over the growing influence of so-called tenderpreneurs, describing the practice as a significant source of corruption within public procurement.

"There are people who are connected. They get tenders in the construction sector, for instance, when they do not have the equipment or capacity to do the jobs," he said.

"They then subcontract capable companies but retain part of the money for themselves."

Chief Nhema warned that such arrangements not only result in financial leakages but also increase the risk of poor-quality infrastructure and incomplete projects.

"This results in financial leakages and there is always a danger of shoddy work being done," he said.

Participants at the meeting raised concerns that politically connected intermediaries continue to benefit from public contracts while genuine contractors are sidelined, ultimately affecting the quality of public service delivery.

Officials from the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, however, argued that procurement reforms introduced in recent years had significantly improved oversight and accountability.

They pointed to the enactment of the Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act and the establishment of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) as important milestones in strengthening procurement governance.

"We had those challenges before the Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act," a ministry official said.

"Then came PRAZ, which established standards and regulations that all procurement entities are expected to follow. The framework has helped to address many of those challenges."

The meeting also examined operational challenges affecting law enforcement agencies.

Chief Nhema raised concerns about limited transport and equipment available to the police, particularly in rural districts, arguing that resource constraints could compromise anti-corruption investigations.

"In some areas, a single vehicle services several communities," he said.

"In rural districts, perpetrators are aware of these limitations and may take advantage of them. It becomes difficult to effectively combat corruption under such circumstances."

He added that some police officers were at times forced to rely on transport provided by members of the public, a situation he warned could expose officers to undue influence.

However, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi rejected suggestions that police stations were operating without vehicles.

"For your own information, every police station in the country has an operational vehicle, unless otherwise. This is one of the areas which the Commissioner-General of Police, Stephen Mutamba, has addressed," Nyathi said.

"I am surprised when people say police stations have no cars and are asking for vehicles from the public."

He acknowledged that members of the public occasionally assist police operations but said such instances should not be interpreted as evidence of a lack of transport within the police service.

Nyathi said government had recently strengthened the Zimbabwe Republic Police fleet through the acquisition of 500 motorcycles, which have already been deployed across the country.

"Some stations have a minimum of two motorcycles, while others have five or 10," he said.

"As we speak, the government is in the process of acquiring 200 vehicles for the police."

The meeting concluded with calls for continued collaboration among justice sector institutions to strengthen anti-corruption efforts, improve procurement integrity and enhance public confidence in Zimbabwe's accountability systems.