Tuesday, August 12
Rusape Tender Scandal: Explosive Documents Reveal Major Irregularities – Just the Tip of the Iceberg
A significant scandal has erupted at the Rusape Town Council, as explosive documents obtained by this publication reveal that a lucrative tender was awarded to a contractor who demonstrably failed to meet essential qualification criteria outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP) on the PRAZ website. This appears to be just the tip of a much larger iceberg.
A critical RFP requirement mandated reference letters from local councils confirming experience in urban and commercial construction. However, the winning contractor submitted two highly dubious "reference letters" from the Mutare Rural District Council (MRDC), both appearing to be fraudulent.
The first, a "Certificate of Occupation" for Mafuke Hall, is baffling. This hall was built almost two decades ago by Plan International and students, not the contractor. How could they obtain a Certificate of Occupation for a building they didn't own or construct, built so long ago?
This glaring discrepancy strongly suggests fabrication, as whistleblower Mwashaenyi rightly suspected. Even more damning, the second "reference" lacks the MRDC Coat of Arms and is dated October 5, 2024 – a Saturday. Crucially, both documents bear the signature of T.A. Nyarumbu, who officially retired from MRDC in January 2024.
His signature on documents purportedly issued months after his retirement is irrefutable proof of their inauthenticity.
These revelations unequivocally show the contractor's failure to meet basic qualifications, rendering the entire tender award null and void.
This blatant circumvention of procurement regulations demands immediate, thorough investigation by PRAZ and other relevant authorities. The full extent of these irregularities remains to be uncovered, but what is clear is that the integrity of public procurement in Rusape has been severely compromised.
