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Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
THE government has directed schools to buy buses from local assemblers to curb alleged corruption in the purchases. Slyvia Utete-Masango, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, recently wrote to Provincial Education Directors and District Education Officers informing them of the latest position.
In a letter dated June 24, Utete-Masango said there were concerns that schools were being defrauded by some bus suppliers.
“Following the rise in malpractices in the procurement of the buses by schools as well as the increasing number of schools that are being taken advantage of by shrewd suppliers, the ministry approached the State Procurement Board (SPB) in order to find lasting solutions to the matter,” wrote Utete-Masango.
“The SPB passed a resolution on the matter through PBR 0365 of April 1, 2015, in which the ministry, through the accounting officer was directed to approach three local companies in line with the mid-year fiscal policy and the Zim-Asset blueprint, for the procurement of the buses.”
She said schools were being instructed to submit their bus requirements through their district and provincial offices.
Provincial offices are required to consolidate the bus requirements and submit the list to the ministry to facilitate bulk purchases to enable savings through quantity discounts.
Added Utete-Masango: “Head Office will approach the following bus companies for quotations: AVM, Deven Engineering and FAW Zimbabwe. The ministry also conducted a due diligence on the three companies and found that FAW Zimbabwe and AVM are quite capable of meeting the needs of the schools in terms of provision of buses but there was not much going at Deven Engineering.”
The Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavhima yesterday told The Chronicle that the government came up with the directive to ensure transparency in the purchase of buses.
“It was a process to rationalise the bus prices and wipe out corruption in our schools. We wanted to control the cost of buses because you would see a school buying a bus for $100,000 while another school bought a similar bus for $230,000,” said Prof Mavhima.
He said the three companies that will now supply the buses have the capacity to do so.
“There was so much variation on money that was channelled to purchase buses. We wanted to rationalise the process.
“We did a tender process where bus companies forwarded the cost of their buses. After looking at all the buses, three companies were chosen that should provide buses,” added Prof Mavhima.
Matabeleland North acting PED Jabulani Mpofu said the directive does not affect the province much.
“I know that there was a proposal that schools must buy their buses locally. However, this doesn’t really affect us as we’re a rural province without finances to buy new buses. We usually buy reconditioned buses,” said Mpofu.
FAW Zimbabwe managing director Patrick Masosha said they can supply buses according to customer specifications.
“There were serious issues that authorities felt should be dealt with. People of no fixed abode were supplying the buses causing price instabilities,” said Masosha. “To us its business as usual. It’s not something we can go to town about. Out targets go beyond the schools and there’re other players that have been considered for the tender.”
He said his company has the capacity to produce 26 to 86-seater buses for prices ranging from $31,000 to $90,000 depending on customer needs.
Online Reporter