• – Stripping the first winner. 
• – Tender cancelled, restarted and then Kazembe wins.
• – Kirsty Coventry’s Perm Sec says tender-details are confidential.
• – Winner’s company phones not working 2 months later.

By Simba Chikanza | Will the National Sports Stadium be finally renovated years after the infrastructure was condemned?

Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe has under suspicious circumstances won the USD2,5 million tender to renovate the National Sports Stadium following a sudden stripping of the first winner, the Securico company.

This investigation also shows evidence that the tender has nothing to do with renovations that have remained outstanding for more than 5 years; the million dollar project, is all to do with the installation of  cosmetic electronic devices, on top of the delapidated infrastructure.

Kazembe Kazembe’s company, Leabridge Technologies has won the tender despite not possessing a history of running a project of the size.

Other companies which submitted tenders are: Safeguard, Securico, Suvkin Enterprise, Slow Grand Engineering, Radio Solutions, Sports Health Centre, Sonic Signals, AC Controls, and Setworth.

Kazembe had at first teamed up with Securico, but somewhat upon noticing that Securico had submitted separately and won, the tender win was cancelled and re-advertised.

Tender cancelled, restarted and then Kazembe wins

The tender back in October 2020, was restarted after Kazembe had lost and Securico had won. The mistake of cancelling the tender which had won, was not publicised as required by law.

The amount of the tender submission by Kazembe Kazembe, is different from the one announced by the board, which raises questions how the board would print out a higher figure.

Leabridge’s tender was to the tune of 2,318,935.12, and yet it got awarded one at
2,577,334.01. So what happened to the lumpsum USD258,398.88?

The competing companies with a known capacity to run the installations, are Safeguard, Securico, and Radio Solutions.

The tender win was unceremoniously announced 2 months later, meaning the bidders won’t be able to appeal.

The perm sec for Youth, Sport And Culture Dr Thokozile Chitepo announced saying:

“The Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation acknowledges receipt of your tender bidding document for tender DOM 003/2021. The Ministry finalised adjudication process and PRAZ has concurred with the Ministry’s recommendation.

“As such, the Ministry writes this communication informing you that tender DOM003/2021 being tender for the supply, delivery, installation arid commissioning of Automated Turnstiles System Electronic Ticketing System, Venue Operation Control. Biometric Access Control and CCTV for Zimbabwe National Sports Stadium nas been awarded to Leabridge Investments (Pvt) Ltd T/A Leabridge Technologies of 26 Harvey Brown Milton Park, Harare at a tender value of two million five hundred seventy-seven thousand three hundred thirty•four and one cent (USD2 577 334.01).”

Minister Kazembe Kazembe was contacted for a comment and he replied asking, ” which tender? Which tender?” before his phone was swiftly put down.

Kirsty Coventry’s Perm Sec says tender-details are confidential

Contacted for a comment on Tuesday, Kirsty Coventry’s Secretary, Dr Chitepo said she should be contacted a few hours later. She was sent the documents showing the serious discrepancy and was still to comment during the first days of drafting this article.

Meanwhile, contacted again later in the day, the perm sec, Dr Chitepo told ZimEye, “what I want you to know is that there’s absolutely no way that I can disclose this, the proceedings of the tender; and in any case I’m not involved in that and even if I was, there’s no way I could disclose that to anybody, those are confidential and I just will not be able to disclose anything about that process unfortunately.”

Tenders are by law public records which must be both publicised and published.

‘I thought that tenders are public, and according to the law they are supposed to be publicised?,’ she was asked.

To this, Dr Chitepo replied saying “no, no, no, no, no, they are not public, they are public to the extent that there’s in the case of public (sic-not clear) but the internal proceedings are not disclosable, I might as well just have an open shelf and everybody, you know, in any case I am personally not involved in that process anyway,” she said.

She added saying,

“I am just saying to you I’m an administrator in the process, so I definitely, it would be a conflict for me to be involved in that.”

This reporter pressed her on still saying, ‘the reason why I had to ask you is because you’re on the document you signed the document and it cites that your office was also involved, your office, and the board so you equally they’re not only are you named personally but your office so would not be an interest, to probe how the the figures do not match in the end that Leabridge which is connected to a minister by the way it’s owned also owned by a minister, Kazembe Kazembe, and it gets a tender win at a higher figure than the one that actually submitted at the beginning?’

To this, Chitepo said “well, I am sorry I’m not going to be able to disclose anything to you and if you want to you can try to pursue this, in other ways but …”

Praz says communication with authority has to be in writing

Meanwhile, the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, was contacted by ZimEye, and an official responsible, only named via phone as ‘Tino’ demanded questions to be sent in writing.

She told our reporter,

“Mr Chikanza, unfortunately all communication with the authority has to be in writing, could you kindly put your request in writing so that we can respond accordingly,” she said.

She was pressed on the fact that the case in public interest, and she reiterated saying, “yes Mr Chikanza I understand what you are saying but could you kindly put it in writing.”

This reporter insisted asking, why she demands an email be sent over something she can clearly see is a theft of nearly USD200,000.

She swiftly put the phone down afterwards.

Minister Kazembe Kazembe was contacted for a comment and he replied asking, ” which tender? Which tender?” before his phone was swiftly put down.

Meanwhile, contacted again later in the day, the perm sec, Dr Chitepo told ZimEye, “what I want you to know is that there’s absolutely no way that I can disclose this, the proceedings of the tender; and in any case I’m not involved in that and even if I was, there’s no way I could disclose that to anybody, those are confidential and I just will not be able to disclose anything about that process unfortunately.”

Tenders are by law public records which must be both publicised and published.

‘I thought that tenders are public, and according to the law they are supposed to be publicised.’

To this, Dr Chitepo replied saying “no, no, no, no, no, they are not public, they are public to the extent that there’s in the case of public (sic-not clear) but the internal proceedings are not disclosable, I might as well just have an open shelf and everybody, you know… in any case, I am personally not involved in that process anyway,” she said.

She added saying,

“I am just saying to you I’m an administrator in the process, so I definitely…it would be a conflict for me to be involved in that.”

Thus reporter pressed her on still saying, ‘the reason why I had to ask you is because you are on the document; you signed the document and it cites that your office was also involved; your office, as well as the board so not only are you named personally but your office as well, so would it not be an interest, to probe how the figures do not match in the end that Leabridge which is owned also by a minister, Kazembe Kazembe, and it now gets a tender win at a higher figure than the one actually submitted at the beginning?’

To this, Chitepo said “well I am sorry I’m not going to be able to disclose anything to you and if you want to you can try to pursue this, in other ways but …”

Meanwhile, the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, was contacted by ZimEye, and an official responsible, only named during the phonecall as ‘Tino’ demanded questions be sent in writing.

She told this reporter, “Mr Chikanza, unfortunately all communication with the authority has to be in writing, could you kindly put your request in writing so that we can respond accordingly,” she said.

She was pressed on the fact that the case in public interest, and she reiterated saying, “yes Mr Chikanza I understand what you are saying but could you kindly put it in writing.”

To this, Chikanza insisted asking, why she demands an email be sent over something she can clearly see is the theft of over USD200,000.

She swiftly put the phone down afterwards.

Winner’s company phones not working.

Meanwhile, the same company that has won the USD 2,5 million tender, was still difficult to reach via phone, with none of its phones being accessible. None of the ground numbers were working and their cellphone unreachable.