Joram Gumbo Awarded US$33.3 Million Contract Without Going To Tender, Tender Could Have Been Inflated By 64%

Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Joram Gumbo is alleged to have ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) to unprocedurally award a €28 million (US$33.3 million) contract without going through the tender process. The contract was awarded to Indra Sistema and Hornt Espana SA for the supply and installation of an aerospace management system. According to a report by the weekly newspaper, The Independent, Gumbo then called for a special board meeting in August. The minister sought board approval to award the contract to Indira Sistemas and Hornt Espana SA at a cost of €28 million instead of the €10 million which was initially awarded for the tender in 2016. There are concerns that the tender may have been inflated by 64 percent.

The minister’s alleged actions also go against the Supreme Court’s judgement which cancelled the tender to Indra Sistemas and ordered the contract to be remitted to the State Procurement Board for a fresh tender instead. However, the tender is yet to be floated.

More: Independent