A saga of bureaucratic obstacles, financial implications

Suburban Reporter

THE City of Harare finds itself embroiled in a protracted battle to procure a new billing system, a struggle that has persisted for nearly five years.

This saga, rife with bureaucratic entanglements and technical challenges, has culminated in a special full council meeting at Town House, where the decision to engage the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) was reached.

Central to this protracted ordeal is the abandonment of the BIQ system in 2019, following a pricing dispute with the South African Supplier, Quill Associates.

The termination of the contract with Quill Associates, precipitated by a substantial price hike from US$35 000 to US$75 000, marked the beginning of a series of contentious decisions.

Notably, the subsequent pursuit of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, with a staggering cost of US$52 million, has been met with resistance from both the central Government and councillors.

Mayor Jacob Mafume’s impassioned address during the council meeting shed light on the prevailing confusion and frustration among the city’s officials.

Mafume articulated the prevailing sentiment that certain officials seem intent on obstructing the acquisition of an affordable billing system in favour of the exorbitantly priced US$52 million ERP.

His assertion that the council is struggling to comprehend the inexplicable failure of a bidder who scored 89 percent, well above the minimum qualifying score of 75 percent, underscores the pervasive sense of bewilderment and exasperation.

Moreover, the revelation that the winning bidder was subjected to additional mandatory requirements, including funding a site visit by Harare officials, raises questions about the transparency and integrity of the procurement process.

The urgency expressed by Mayor Mafume, urging the council to swiftly engage with PRAZ and obtain clarity on the impeding factors, underscores the critical need for resolution in this protracted ordeal.

The financial implications of this prolonged saga are dire and multifaceted.

The city’s mounting debts, including a substantial owing of US$2,4 million to Chemplex, coupled with the struggle to meet financial obligations to councillors and workers, paints a grim picture of the city’s financial health.

The absence of a functioning billing system has further exacerbated the predicament, impeding the city’s ability to carry out essential operations and services expected of a municipal organisation.

The Mayor’s poignant lamentation about the city’s diminishing financial resources, as a result of delayed payments and the devaluation of local currency sitting idle in the bank, highlights the tangible impact of the bureaucratic impasse on the city’s financial stability.

His assertion that each tender flighted for suppliers necessitates subsequent variations, coupled with the devaluation of funds due to delayed payments, underscores the detrimental effects of the prevailing bureaucratic quagmire on the city’s financial well-being.

The Mayor’s assertion that these challenges are not merely incidental but deliberate acts of defiance is a sobering indictment of the underlying dynamics at play. It speaks to a deeper, systemic issue that extends beyond mere bureaucratic inefficiencies and technical bottlenecks.

The insinuation of deliberate obstruction and defiance raises profound questions about the underlying motivations and power dynamics at play in the procurement process.

In conclusion, the City of Harare’s struggle to procure a new billing system is not merely a technical or bureaucratic conundrum; it is a multifaceted ordeal with profound financial, operational, and systemic implications.

The urgent need to engage with PRAZ underscores the critical juncture at which the city finds itself, grappling with a prolonged and convoluted procurement process.

The outcome of this engagement with PRAZ holds the potential to reshape the city’s financial and operational landscape, laying the groundwork for a more transparent, efficient, and sustainable procurement framework.