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Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council has resolved to retender the installation of the parking management system in the city and give all companies that had expressed interest another chance.
The council also resolved that a workshop be organised for councillors to have a clear understanding of the matter and that council invites a representative from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to shed more light on the matter.
The tender, which has taken more than eight years to be implemented stalled last month after the city’s councillors failed to agree on how best to implement the project.
The councillors deferred the matter to this month for further deliberations after they clashed with management, which insisted that the system has to be re-advertised owing to a number of irregularities they identified in the awarding of the multi-million-dollar project.
Councillors were instead pushing management to implement a council resolution, where the local authority will embark on a joint venture with two Harare-based companies, Duscretion Logistics Private Limited and Lauvax Trading Private Limited trading as ProPark.
According to the latest council minutes, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni said the simplest solution was to retender and give everyone a chance.
He said it was best to re-advertise to ensure compliance with the procurement values of transparency, fairness, honesty, cost effectiveness and competitiveness.
“I have sought legal advice from the Chamber Secretary and Procurement Management Unit and examined the relevant files.
“Having been favoured with all the facts and advice concerning this matter, it’s recommended that council reviews and rescinds the resolution of July 3, 2019 and resolve to de-brief all the applicants for the tender for parking management system who expressed interest in 2010 and 2018, consistent with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) resolution of October 24, 2017,” said Cllr Mguni.
He said the two companies will still have an opportunity to respond to the tender and show their competency for the project.
He further explained that in 2012 there were three companies that had submitted their tenders adding that they will compete with others including those whom council wanted to enter into a Joint Venture with.
Cllr Mguni said council was in a dilemma because it had to conclude with Megalithic, the company that initially won the tender.
“Megalithic was supposed to do parking in the city and if council had to negotiate with any other party without concluding with Megalithic, it would have taken away what the company wanted to do.
“Council had decided not to award the tender in 2012 and Megalithic was aggrieved by that decision. The company took the matter to the courts and council defended its position. Many things have changed,” said the Mayor.
He said the company’s bid validity expired and in terms of guarantees, Megalithic’s bank, ZABG closed.
“The fairest thing is to flight a tender. Tendering does not prejudice anyone because it’s an all-inclusive process. It’s a process as compared to the Joint Venture Act,” said Cllr Mguni. — @pamelashumba1.
Online Reporter