Thembekile Nlebgwa
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) has urged lawmakers to embed stronger transparency and community oversight in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Amendment Bill (H.B. 2, 2025) during a stakeholder hearing held at the Civic Centre.
The parliamentary committee, chaired by Hon Energy Mutodi, is touring the country ahead of public hearings scheduled for 21–25 July as the Bill progresses through Parliament.
Opening the dialogue, Mutodi stressed that “procurement must be aligned with the constitution and budgeting system and make sure that there are no issues of mismanagement in the public sector,’he said.
GRRA Executive Director Cornilia Selipiwe said residents frequently hit a brick wall when they seek answers on tender delays.
“When we approach local authority on matters of procurement, local authorities often argue that the procurement process is slowed down by Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) , as councillors they claim they cannot act yet they are supposed to be our voices, how then are the needs of the public being addressed?” he said.
Selipiwe asked legislators to write explicit oversight powers for councillors into the Bill so that elected representatives cannot be sidelined on contracts that affect service delivery.
His call echoes nationwide demands for tighter controls after Cabinet approved the draft law on 6 June, citing endemic tender corruption.
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) programmes assistant Gracia Mashingaidze added: “Public goods must serve the public, and that means everyone must be included in the process,” she said.
Participants proposed a dedicated desk for reporting procurement‑related corruption, a witness‑protection clause, and removal of restrictions that prevent local authorities from sourcing outside Zimbabwe when local suppliers cannot meet demand.
They also pressed for quotas that guarantee women, youth and other marginalised groups fair access to public contracts, an approach civil‑society groups say would curb “tenderpreneurship” and rebuild public trust.
The Bill seeks to strengthen the 2017 Act by tightening PRAZ’s supervisory role, introducing an electronic government‑procurement platform and setting stiff penalties for non‑compliance, moves the authority says will cut costs and speed up tender approvals.
