It’s been quite an eventful week, especially for those of us who follow current affairs and love it when corruption and looting is exposed.
So much noise has been made on private and social media over the last couple of days over a tender fraudulently awarded to a company linked to one of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s sons, Collins Mnangagwa.
The tender was to supply medicines and surgical sundries needed in the fight against Covid-19, such as masks, gloves and coveralls.
What initially raised eyebrows was that the company, Drax Consult Sagl, was not listed as a government supplier and the fact that the tender had not been properly flighted meaning no other company was able to bid.
The worst part was when it came to light that the company had greatly inflated the prices of materials to be supplied such that the government was going to pay double for the supplies. And to make matters worse, the money was quickly paid – as it turned out, for obvious reasons!
Had the media not made noise about this scandal, the company would have pocketed an extra US$500, 000 (about P5 million) through this falsified tender and inflated prices and one wonders how much Collins would have gotten as his cut.
By the way, this company had charged US$28 (P280) for a mask which normally costs US$5 (P50)!
Unfortunately for them, the noise was too much for the government and I am sure an embarrassed President was left with no choice but to approve, or even order, the cancellation of the tender.
I am sure it was also because the first family is now regularly linked to corruption and looting of the country’s resources hence they had to be seen doing something to save their faces.
Hopefully, President Mnangagwa’s family members will now think twice before trying to extort the state – the media is watching!
In other news, an update about Phumuza Gumede, the unemployed widower from our farming area who came to our place pushing his 10-month-old baby boy Luvuno in a wheelbarrow.
As mentioned last week, following my Twitter post the man and his baby drew attention of hundreds of people within and outside the country.
Touched by the plight of this man, scores of people donated cash and kind to makes their lives better.
The icing on the cake is, however, the fact that a UK-based organisation will build a decent home for Gumede while baby Luvuno’s future is now almost secure as a donor has offered to pay for his education as soon he starts going to school.
My heart is really full of joy and I am grateful to all those who came out in numbers to show their love to this underprivileged family.
