HEALTH and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro allegedly railroaded the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm), in dramatic events, including visiting the parastatal’s workers at night and threatening them with dismissal, to award a US$5,6 million contract to an “undeserving company” — Young Health Care.
This is contained in a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (zacc) report which says the Deputy Minister had “personal interest” in the matter.
The investigation, conducted from August 31 to September 4 this year, looked into circumstances of how the Ministry of Health and Child Care handled a Covid-19 tender (NAT ITCB FWWK 04/2020) for the purchase of laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables.
The Sunday Mail recently reported that senior Government officials were allegedly caught with hands in the till over the Covid-19 materials procurement.
The alleged scandal was unearthed following a whistleblower’s tip-off in August.
Reached for comment, Dr Mangwiro said: “Sorry, I cant talk right now”, in a terse SMS response to The Sunday Mail, after his phone went unanswered.
According to the report, the commission recommended a further probe to check if the Deputy Minister criminally abused his office; possible violation of the Public Finance Management Act and Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets.
The suspected violations stem from allegations against the Deputy Minister that he ordered NatPharm to give Young Health Care a tender and advance payments before delivery of goods.
Dr Mangwiro, the zacc report says, usurped the duties of the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary through issuing countless directives to NatPharm.
Young Health Care, it emerged, was given a contract through a directive from then acting Permanent Secretary Dr Gibson Mhlanga, at a time when it was not even registered with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) as required by law.
NatPharm acting managing director, Mr Zealous Nyabadza resisted the alleged unlawful act by Ministry of Health and Child Care officials resulting in a public tendering process which was delayed to allow Young Health Care to register with Praz.
In part, the zacc report reads: “Initial quotation by Young Health Care for supply of commodities under direct procurement, where prices quoted by Young Heath Care Limited were exorbitant amounted to USD$5 600 000, which was coincidentally the same amount that was in the Ministry coffers, suggesting that the company had inside information.-The Sunday Mail
