News / National
Bulawayo-Vic Falls road rehabilitation corruption in tender awards exposed
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The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has backtracked on its earlier claim that contractors are already on site to begin rehabilitation of the dilapidated Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, citing the circulation of incorrect information.
This comes after a state-run newspaper, The Herald, published an article on Monday claiming that eight contractors had mobilised to begin work on the 440.4-kilometre highway. The report, which was shared on the Ministry's official X (formerly Twitter) page, suggested that the long-awaited upgrade of the critical tourism corridor was finally underway.
However, this assertion sparked controversy, as it contradicted an official tender notice still open for bids until April 29, 2025. The premature announcement raised public concern over possible irregularities in the procurement process.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Engineer Joy Makumbe, clarified that no contractor has been awarded the tender and no work has commenced.
"The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development wishes to unreservedly apologise to members of the public and all its stakeholders for posting a Twitter message containing incorrect information on April 29, 2025, at 09:18 hours," said Eng. Makumbe.
She acknowledged that the misleading post was based on a story by The Herald and admitted that internal communication protocols had been breached.
"One of the officers assigned the duty to manage the Ministry's Twitter handle conceded and acknowledged that she breached the internal Standard Operating Procedures for information verification by not verifying the authenticity of the facts with the technical officials in the Department of Roads before posting," she said.
Eng. Makumbe further explained that the tender process officially closed on April 29 at 11:00 hours, and that the bids will now undergo evaluation by a designated committee. The committee's recommendations will then be submitted to the Special Procurement Oversight Committee for final approval before any contracts are awarded.
"The Ministry wishes to set the record straight... the tender which was issued on April 17, 2025, closed on April 29, 2025... an evaluation committee will convene... before awarding the same to successful bidders," the statement clarified.
Transport Minister Felix Mhona has previously indicated that the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road will span 36 months. The highway is a crucial link to Zimbabwe's top tourist destination and has been in a state of severe disrepair for years, prompting calls for urgent intervention.
The Ministry's miscommunication has stirred debate over transparency and accountability in public infrastructure projects, especially those involving high economic and tourism stakes.
This comes after a state-run newspaper, The Herald, published an article on Monday claiming that eight contractors had mobilised to begin work on the 440.4-kilometre highway. The report, which was shared on the Ministry's official X (formerly Twitter) page, suggested that the long-awaited upgrade of the critical tourism corridor was finally underway.
However, this assertion sparked controversy, as it contradicted an official tender notice still open for bids until April 29, 2025. The premature announcement raised public concern over possible irregularities in the procurement process.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Engineer Joy Makumbe, clarified that no contractor has been awarded the tender and no work has commenced.
"The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development wishes to unreservedly apologise to members of the public and all its stakeholders for posting a Twitter message containing incorrect information on April 29, 2025, at 09:18 hours," said Eng. Makumbe.
She acknowledged that the misleading post was based on a story by The Herald and admitted that internal communication protocols had been breached.
"One of the officers assigned the duty to manage the Ministry's Twitter handle conceded and acknowledged that she breached the internal Standard Operating Procedures for information verification by not verifying the authenticity of the facts with the technical officials in the Department of Roads before posting," she said.
Eng. Makumbe further explained that the tender process officially closed on April 29 at 11:00 hours, and that the bids will now undergo evaluation by a designated committee. The committee's recommendations will then be submitted to the Special Procurement Oversight Committee for final approval before any contracts are awarded.
"The Ministry wishes to set the record straight... the tender which was issued on April 17, 2025, closed on April 29, 2025... an evaluation committee will convene... before awarding the same to successful bidders," the statement clarified.
Transport Minister Felix Mhona has previously indicated that the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road will span 36 months. The highway is a crucial link to Zimbabwe's top tourist destination and has been in a state of severe disrepair for years, prompting calls for urgent intervention.
The Ministry's miscommunication has stirred debate over transparency and accountability in public infrastructure projects, especially those involving high economic and tourism stakes.
Source - NewZimbabwe
