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Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent
The trial of former Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) acting Chief Executive Matheline Mujokoro on allegations of flouting procurement procedures by hiring two security companies rejected during an evaluation as sub-standard and then extending the contracts of the two failed to kick off today with her notifying the court that she intends to file an application for exception.
Mujokoro is facing criminal abuse of office as a public officer.
Responding after being asked how she would plead by Harare Magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei, Mujokoro said she is excepting to the charge.
The court heard that in 2016, Zinara flighted a tender for the provision of security services at its premises countrywide.
A total of 24 companies, including Ex-Combatants Security and National Eye Security Service, responded to the tender.
An evaluation team was set up after tenders were opened and it toured all 24 companies, but it was disbanded before the final evaluation report was signed.
However, Mujokoro and her accomplices already found that Ex-Combatants and National Eye Security failed to meet the requirements as they had neither firearms nor dogs and their premises were not presentable, according to the State.
“After these evaluations, the Procurement Management Committee was supposed to sit and come up with a suitable bidder but no such committee sat to select a successful bidder.
“On April 3, 2017, contrary to his duties as the procurement chairperson who was supposed to ensure that procedures were followed and with intention to show favour to Ex-Combatant Security Service and National Eye Security, former Finance Director Simon Taranhike single-handedly selected the two companies and wrote letters to them advising that they had won tenders to provide security services to the northern and southern regions,” said the State.
On May 9, 2017, former Chief Executive Nancy Masiyiwa-Chamisa signed one-year contracts for the two security companies with a 12-months’ extension provision.
On March 1, 2018, Zinara’s administration and human resources director wrote to the two security companies advising them that their contracts were not to be renewed upon expiry but, said the State, Mujokoro, who was the acting chief executive officer, extended the contracts of the two security companies on September 7, 2018 from the date of expiry to April 30, 2019, without Zinara’s approval.
However, the authority asked acting Chief Executive Saston Muzenda for the contracts but he responded saying that he had already awarded the tender to the security company, thereby extending its service provision by 12 months.
He allegedly showed disfavour to Modern Security and Real Star Security companies who had won the tender.
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