Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Highway Project
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Government awarded ZimHighways the tender for the Beitbridge-Harare Highway in 2005. In 2013, ZimHighways instituted legal proceedings against the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development. The process of which continued until the matter was withdrawn through negotiations done by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development on behalf of the Government.
Geiger International
The project was granted to Geiger International and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) under Resolution PBR 1397E of 15th March, 2016 as one project. CHEC was to be the main contractor of the project while financing 20% of the Beitbridge-Harare section of the road.
Subsequently, the two parties re-engaged the Government through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development indicating that the Beitbridge-Harare section was a Public Private Partnership, while the Harare Chirundu section was to be financed through a loan – hence the project should be formally split. The request was submitted to the State Procurement Board which approved and reissued the project approval under PBR 1397F of 14 July, 2016.
The contract between Geiger International and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development was signed in November 2016 and to date the Government has not received any communication for the Financial Closure as required by the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract. In turn, the Ministry, through its letter dated 15th March, 2018, has served a notice as provided for by the Concession Contract and such notice period is for 60 days within which the concessionaire may remedy the event by giving rise to the right of termination within the remedy period. Currently, the Government awaits a response from the concessionaire.
Mr. Speaker, this covers the request that was made for me to make a Ministerial Statement on those two projects by Hon. Maridadi on behalf of the Parliament of Zimbabwe.
HON. MARIDADI: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker Sir. We need clarification on a number of issues. I wish to thank the Hon. Minister for those statements. There are a number of issues, Hon. Minister, that I would like you to clarify pertaining to Zimbabwe Airways. The Hon. Minister says in 2016 Air Zimbabwe approached Government wanting to buy airplanes and that they wanted to buy airplanes for $70 million from Malaysia.
Mr. Speaker, it is not a secret that Air Zimbabwe is broke. At the time that Air Zimbabwe approached Government wanting to buy aircrafts, I think they were in debt to the tune of about $500 million, some of which had been taken over by Government and housed at some vehicle which houses Government loans that are not performing.
Secondly, I would like the Minister to tell us, because he says Zimbabwe Airways was given a licence because Air Zimbabwe could not fly into Europe. Had Air Zimbabwe flown into Europe, the aircraft would have been seized by people that they owe money. I wish to know the shareholding structure of Zimbabwe Airways, who owns it and where did you get the US$41 million to buy the aircraft and where are you going to get the balance of US$29 million? I also wish to understand the role that is being played by Bona’s husband, because when the aircrafts were delivered to Harare, we saw on the pictures that came out in the press Bona’s husband wearing a pilots uniform with four strips which indicate that he is a captain and yet the information that we have is that when he left Air Zimbabwe he was a first officer. Did he fly the aircraft to Harare, what role does he play and I want you to tell us if he has resigned from Air Zimbabwe and if he has been given a job at Zimbabwe Airways? That is the first batch of questions that I would like you to respond to and I will come back with some more. Thank you.
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