Parliament takes Gumbo to task over the Beitbridge-Harare Road dualisation

HON. CROSS: Mr. Speaker Sir, may I follow that up.  Mr. Speaker, the Minister has still not given me a clear explanation, I accept that maybe Geiger is a financier, but the question is; how are they going to award the actual construction tenders?  Will Geiger go at international tender or have they agreed a price on a cost price basis?  This is because, unless we go to tender on an open tender, transparent basis, there are at least five of six companies in Southern Africa which can do that job with their hands tied behind their back.  I heard you have various prices – $3 billion, $2 billion, $1 billion, I do not know what they are talking about, I do not know how these prices were established. 

As far as I am concerned, the critical element is that when we go to award the actual tenders for these specific construction elements, that should be done by open public tender within the region.  I just want to know what is the Minister’s intentions regarding his policy towards that specific aspect because I do not see otherwise how we are going to get a price.  This is a major project.

HON. DR. GUMBO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I think it is very important that even all Members of Parliament know what exactly is happening because at the end of the day, it is a loan to the Government.  I am very grateful that the Hon. Member continues to probe for more information.  Mr. Speaker Sir, an open tender was flighted it was not a closed tender. 

Mr. Speaker Sir, a tender was made international and all our ambassadors got the tender and companies, not only Geiger responded to that tender.  It was an open tender.  Maybe I can give more information, the section from Beitbridge to Harare, for Geiger, they offered a $984 million, but what we had as a reserve was actually about $1 billion for that section.  Then the section from Harare ring road is quoted at $368 million, then the section from Harare to Chirundu, $686 million.  So, those figures are there.  It was on that basis and also on the feasibility studies that had been done, that it was found fair to accept Geiger, which had offered a lower figure than what was offered by other companies and also what the feasibility study had asked for.  So, it was really an open tender and not a closed one. 

HON. MAONDERA: On a point of privilege Mr. Speaker Sir.

THE HON. SPEAKER: No, you cannot do that, you better ask a supplementary question.

HON. MAONDERA: Alright, I can ask a supplementary.  Thank you.  Hon. Minister, sometime in May last year, there was pomp and fanfare at Chaka there, with the former President ground-breaking that road that was going to commence in three months time.  Can you tell this House why it has taken so long to start the road, given the fact that people are dying, it is so horrendous.  People are dying every day in that road.  The image that the road is giving to Zimbabwe is so bad because it is a link road with most trucks coming from Zambia to South Africa.  Why has it taken more than a year now to commence work on that road?

HON. DR. GUMBO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  It is very true that a ground breaking ceremony was held on the 17th of May, 2017 at Chaka Business Centre, it is a fact.  However, it remains for Hon. Members to know that on projects of this magnitude, they are not done overnight  – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Mr. Speaker Sir, when the ground-breaking was done, the contractor and the financier were present and they made the promise that they would be starting their construction in three months, they did mention that.  It was not because of me, it was because of the contractor.  The contractor mentioned that information to all of us and it is only fair that I could speak on that because I was the Minister responsible and that is acceptable. 

The point I want to make Mr. Speaker Sir, is that having said that, there were other issues precedent to the implementation of the project and that could not be primarily be blamed on the Geiger company and its contractor.  There were also issues on our side which were to be met or issues precedent – declaration of project national status, the opening of the accounts – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I think you want me to give you information, is that so?

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