‘City businesses to blame for failure to win Youth Games tenders’

Pamela Shumba  Senior Reporter
THE Bulawayo business community has itself to blame for failing to win government tenders for the forthcoming African Union (AU) Region Five Youth Games to be held in Bulawayo in December, a senior government official has said.Acting director for quantity surveying in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Mike Dzimati told Bulawayo businesspeople during a meeting at a local hotel on Wednesday that people from the Matabeleland region did not understand tender procedures and needed to be educated in that regard.

The meeting, attended by government and Bulawayo City Council officials as well as the Bulawayo business community, was meant to drum up support in preparation for the Youth Games.

“Businesspeople from this region do not understand tender procedures. They’re lagging behind. Their prices are usually good but they fail to win most tenders because they ignore some requirements,” said Dzimati.

“I therefore propose a different forum with contractors and sub-contractors from this region so that we can try and assist each other in understanding the process of applying for tenders.”

Dzimati said there were tender requirements that the ministry expected bidders to provide but businesspeople, especially from this region, ignored them, making it difficult for them to win the tenders.

“There are cases where all bidders fail to meet the required requirements, forcing the ministry to waiver some tender requirements.
“In Bulawayo, we had a challenge in identifying the right company for the $1 million tartan track at White City Stadium, which forced us to re-tender it through Special Formal Tender (SFT),” said Dzimati.

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Cde Andrew Langa said he was aware that most tenders for the Youth Games preparations were won by people from outside Bulawayo.  He however urged the winning companies to employ people from Bulawayo for manual work.

“I’m aware that most tenders were won by people from outside Bulawayo and I want to take this opportunity to call upon the businesspeople here to stand up and be counted when it comes to issues of development.

“Let us not be there to complain. President Mugabe proposed that these Games be held in Bulawayo because he wants the city and its people to be uplifted,” he said.

Cde Langa added: “However, companies that won tenders must employ local people for manual work, instead of bringing people from other areas.

“The companies must only bring skills that are not available here and liaise with the relevant departments to that effect.”

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo Cde Nomthandazo Moyo, said she was disappointed that the reason why local firms often failed to win tenders was only mentioned at the Wednesday meeting.

“Why are we being told today yet there have been so many tenders that have been advertised before? People want to be educated, not to be told that they don’t know anything.

“Officials from the ministry should work hand in hand with these companies and make sure that Buawayo people also benefit from the Youth Games,” said Cde Moyo.

She urged the people of Bulawayo to be involved in the Youth Games and bring development to the city.

Cde Langa led the delegates at the meeting on a tour of the Bulawayo Swimming Pool in the city centre, where the construction of a swimming pool is underway.

The 225 square metre pool will be used as a warm-up facility for the games and for national and international junior competitions after the Youth Games.

Cde Langa said the ministry would be ready to hand over all the sporting facilities for the Youth Games by end of September this year.