By Talent Gondo
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy today heard that plans are at advanced stage to determine whether or not to terminate Intratek Zimbabwe Private Limited’s Gwanda Solar Project contract with the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) over the company’s failure to satisfy their contractual agreement.
Zesa Holdings Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Josh Chifamba revealed this while giving oral evidence on the progress made on the Gwanda Solar Project before the Temba Mliswa chaired committee in parliament (Monday)
Engineer Chifamba told parliament that while Intratek Zimbabwe had commenced work and the company was currently on site, this did not exornerate them from having their contract terminated if they had not fulfilled their contractual agreements.
“The contractor is currently on site. One thing that i need to clarify is that the contractor was never expelled on site but they simply had not turned up.
“Thanks to all the noises made through this committee, Intratek Zimbabwe is currently on site but they are there because we have paid them money and there is work which they should have done,” said Chifamba.
He however said the coming of the company on the Gwanda Solar Project site did not mean that all ‘their sins were forgiven’.
“Let me hasten to say that their being on site does not preclude ZPC to cancel all the processes which we had started,” said Engineer Chifamba.
“Intratek’s presence does not legitimise anything, it doesn’t white wash their previous sins,” he said.
Engineer Chifamba revealed that the 23th of April 2018 marked a turning point in the union between ZPC and Intratek Zimbabwe since this was the day when the ZPC, according to the contract would make a review to cancel or proceed its engagement with the company.
“What makes this day (23 April) special is that this is the day that we do our review to see whether the company has satisfied its contractual agreements. We review what has been done visa vis what we have paid.
“It is a pity that you (parliament) chose to bring us here today but had it been next week, maybe we could have been telling you a different story. This process has already started because by today, all the work that we have paid for should be done,” said Engineer Chifamba.
Controversy surrounds the awarding of the US$200 million Gwanda solar project to Intratek Zimbabwe, amid revelations that the tender was awarded to the controversial businessman, Chivhayo in unclear circumstances.
Intratek Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd and ZPC signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract for the 100 megawatt solar project in October 2015, a development which saw the company being paid over US$5 million without following due process.
The company only started work on the site, setting up a few temporary shacks after it emerged that the parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines and Energy would visit the site.