Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe [email protected]
Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu has declared that the era of treating public procurement as a back-office administrative function focused solely on compliance saying Government now views procurement as a strategic instrument for industrialisation, competitiveness and inclusive economic growth.
He said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Bulawayo Province Deputy Director, Mrs Mary Chingonzoh, at the Fifth Annual Public Procurement Symposium organised by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) in Bulawayo today.
The symposium is held under the theme: “Public Procurement as a Strategic Catalyst: Driving Inclusion and Sustainable Economic Transformation.”
Minister Ndlovu said public procurement has become a critical lever for economic transformation under the Second Republic and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2).
“Today, as we gather under the theme ‘Public Procurement as a Strategic Catalyst: Driving Inclusion and Sustainable Economic Transformation,’ I want to issue a bold challenge to every procurement professional in this room: Your pen is more powerful than you think. Every tender you sign is either a lifeline for local industry or a quiet vote for deindustrialisation,” he said.
“For too long, procurement has been viewed as a back-office administrative function, a matter of forms, compliance, and the lowest price.
“I am here to declare that this era is over. Under the Second Republic’s leadership, and as guided by the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2), public procurement is now a frontline instrument for industrial awakening, competitiveness, and inclusive growth.”
The minister said procurement decisions have far-reaching implications for domestic industries, employment creation and economic development, making it imperative for procuring entities to align purchasing decisions with national development priorities.
He also underscored the significance of hosting the symposium in Bulawayo, describing the city as Zimbabwe’s traditional industrial hub whose history offers valuable lessons for the country’s re-industrialisation agenda.
“There is profound significance in convening this symposium at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo, a city that has long been recognised as the industrial heartbeat of our nation,” said Minister Ndlovu.
“Bulawayo was built on the ingenuity, enterprise, and resilience of generations of Zimbabweans whose labour powered its foundries, textile mills, engineering works, and manufacturing plants.
“Its rich industrial heritage is more than a source of pride; it is a powerful reminder of the transformative role that industry, innovation, and entrepreneurship have played in shaping Zimbabwe’s economic development.
“It is therefore fitting that we gather here today to reflect on how public procurement can be leveraged not merely as an administrative function, but as a strategic instrument for industrialisation, economic growth, and national transformation.”
The symposium has brought together policymakers, procurement practitioners, industry leaders and development partners to explore ways of harnessing procurement to drive sustainable economic transformation while promoting transparency, accountability and value for money in public spending.
