dyton mupawaenda
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday rescinded an unauthorised Statutory Instrument gazetted as General Notice 635 of 2023, which purportedly sought to shield the procurement and disposal of certain goods by the Ministry of Health and Child Care from public scrutiny, with investigations into the matter currently underway.
According to the illegal notice, published on 5 May 2023, the President had in terms of section 3(6) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (Chapter 22:23), declared various goods to be of “national interest” hence they had been exempt from public disclosure.
These included construction equipment and materials, biomedical and medical equipment, medicines and drugs (pharmaceuticals), vehicles including ambulances, laboratory equipment, chemicals and accessories, hospital protective equipment and repairs and maintenance services for hospital equipment and machinery.
However, it has since been established that the notice was published without authorisation as is standard Government practice.
In a statement, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, said the document in question had no standing at law, in policy, and in terms of set Government procedures.
“Upon further investigations, it has come to light that the so-called Government Gazetted Notice is a nullity, having been published without authorisation, and without the signature of the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, as is the norm.
“While further investigations are underway, Government wishes to advise the public that, on the instruction of His Excellency the President, the document in question has been rescinded as it has no standing at law, in policy, and in terms of set Government procedures. It thus should be disregarded,” he said.
Dr Sibanda said Government was committed to managing a transparent public procurement policy and process, as required by the laws of the country.
President Mnangagwa has declared zero tolerance to graft and has vowed that the Second Republic will not tolerate any acts of corruption.
“My Government stands committed to the establishment of democratic, transparent, accountable, strong, and efficient institutions in our great country.
“Our vision for an upper-middle income economy status will be achieved if we collectively condemn corruption in a frank manner,” he is on record as saying.
To this end, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (Chapter 22:23) requires a Government Ministry or department which wants to obtain any goods to publish a notice in the Gazette detailing what is wanted and inviting potential suppliers to submit bids.
The bids are then evaluated and the contract awarded to the bidder that submitted the most advantageous bid, is assessed according to price and other criteria laid down in the Act.
The Act provides for the control and regulation of public procurement and the disposal of public assets so as to ensure that such procurement and disposal is effected in a manner that is transparent, fair, honest, cost-effective and competitive.
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