Chokuda Cancels US$9K/Laptop Tender Says "It's Not Morally Justifiable To Buy At Tendered Price"

The Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda has cancelled the laptop tender that had been awarded to Blinart Investments which would see the government paying over US$9 000 for one laptop. In a letter seen by Pindula News, Chokuda said the procurement requirements shall be re-tendered in due course. Reads the letter dated 23 September 2022:

Dear Dennis Sakala

RE: NOTIFICATION OF TENDER CANCELLATION: SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF 173 LAPTOPS AND 79 ALL-IN-ONE DESKTOPS, TENDER NUMBER: PO1/DOM/01312022

The above subject matter refers.

In accordance with section 42 (I) (F) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (Chapter 22:23), you are hereby notified that the tender for the Supply and Delivery of 173 Laptops and 79 All in One Desktops, tender number PO7JOOM./01312022 has been cancelled in the public interest. It is the ParIiament of ‘Zimbabwe’s considered view that it is not morally and prudentially justifiable to purchase the goods at the tendered price. It is in this context that the initially awarded tender could not be fully concluded as follows:

LOT NO.	BIDDER	DESCRIPTION	TOTAL PRICE (USD)
1	Blinart Investments P/L	173 Laptops	1,602,755.77 payable at interbank rate
2	Mid-End Computers and Hardware (P/L)	79 Desktops	243,052.36 payable at interbank rate

The procurement requirements shall be re-tendered in due course.

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The tender sparked controversy two weeks ago when details of the deal were shared on social media.

Finance and Economic Development Permanent Secretary, George Guvamatanga, ordered Parliament to cancel the tenders and blacklist the suppliers.

Chokuda confirmed that Parliament had awarded the tenders to the two companies after exhausting all the procurement requirements. He however issued a statement on 17 September 2022 noting that he had cancelled the tenders on 9 August 2022.

Critics questioned why Treasury would cancel a tender that had already been cancelled and why Chokuda wrote to other bidders on 29 August 2022, notifying them that Blinart Investments and Mid-End Computers and Hardware had won the tenders.

Pindula News