Dzivarasekwa Legislator Edwin Mushoriwa has castigated cabinet for violating the principles of the constitution by disrespecting the Public Procurement Act.
Cabinet has been blamed for flouting procurement procedures in numerous tenders inclusive of the Pomona Waste To Energy Deal.
Early this year, the government approved a joint venture deal between Harare City Council and a Norwegian-based Geogenix BV.
However, councilors and resident associations have publicly criticized the deal’s excessive prices, arguing that they violate the value-for-money procurement concept.
The joint venture aims to turn waste into electricity, but Harare City Council says the contract was never put out to bid.
Speaking during a Twitter Space hosted by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) under the theme Reflections on Public Procurement In Zimbabwe, Mushoriwa who is also a member of the Public Accounts Committee maintains that the cabinet was overstepping its bounds.
“The challenge we have is the role of cabinet in respect to procurement.
“We have come across many situations where there is a cabinet resolution and for some strange reason, it tends to overpower the existing regulations and laws.
“Which is illegal in some sense, because everything that we do starting from the work of the president, is to defend the constitution. He has to protect the principles of the Public Finance Act enshrined in the constitution.
“The same applies to the cabinet and all government ministers,” Mushoriwa said.
Ministerial Statements
Furthermore, the Dzivarasekwa lawmaker accused ministers of illegally overriding the laws and procedures that guide the procurement process.
The procurement
“The major problem is what is called the ministerial directive.
“A minister can simply give a directive to simply do certain things which even other accounting officers in that ministry department will know that it is illegal.
“Once they are given a ministerial directive everyone is bound to follow the directive, you only need to indicate that you are not in agreement but you have no right to stop it,” he said.
Mushoriwa added that the majority of people responsible for procurement lack the necessary skills, ” To handle the level of procurement that happens in government.”
He also blamed poor remuneration as the reason behind the recruitment of officials without the required skills and training.
