Harare town clerk Hosiah Abraham Chisango (54), and City of Harare Principal Contracts Administrator, Artkins Mandaza (42), who were arraigned before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on allegations of criminal abuse of duty have been denied bail. The duo will appear in court on 22 August 2024.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), it is the State’s case that the accused persons connived to unlawfully award a street lighting tender to Juluka Enodo Joint Venture, a company in which Moses Mpofu who is in custody is the majority shareholder.
Allegations are that in so doing the accused persons disregarded an earlier decision to disqualify Juluka Enodo Joint Venture for having failed to meet the bid requirements.
The accused persons allegedly awarded the tender to a company whose owners also own Synlak (Pvt) Ltd, a company which failed to deliver in a biogas digester tender awarded in 2019.
This was contrary to the standard bidding document condition which provides that bidders with bad records from previous City of Harare tenders were not eligible. Said the NPA:
Acting in connivance with the evaluation committee, the second accused person drafted the contract between the City of Harare being represented by the first accused and the company, represented by Moses Mpofu not withstanding the fact that they had used a wrong procurement method and without seeking exemption from the Procurement Regulatory Authority.
Chisango allegedly then wrote to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works seeking advance payment of the contract value of US$9 244 328.71 but the payment was not processed.
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