Harare City Council embroiled in $2 million overpriced desktop scandal

ZIMSPHERE 

HARARE – A procurement scandal has been exposed within the Harare City Council, with officials pushing for the purchase of 500 desktop computers at an inflated price of $4,000 each, significantly above the market price of approximately $700.

Of "criminally" overpriced desktops procured at Town House ...

The council had earmarked at least $2 million for this procurement. A tender process conducted earlier this year saw procurement officials reportedly favoring a firm offering desktops between $3,000 and $4,000, while disregarding lower-priced offers.

Research indicates that a brand new Hp 290 G4 Microtower Desktop, equipped with a 1 terabyte hard drive and an Intel Core i5 9th Generation processor, costs about $700.

Harare's town clerk, Engineer Hosiah Chisango, confirmed that the deal was halted. "I advised the procurement team to go back to the market," he said.

City Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, condemned the procurement attempt, stating, "That is criminal. We will not allow that."

However, the decision to block the deal has led to serious divisions and infighting within the Town House, with some top council officials expressing their discontent.

A source within the procurement department, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the request to purchase the overpriced desktops was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Almost everything we buy as procurement prices will be inflated. There is serious corruption happening, but only benefiting top brass," the source disclosed.

Harare Residents Trust director, Mr. Precious Shumba, described the local authority as a crime scene, stating that corruption is deep-rooted and the perpetrators are not being held accountable.

Mr. Rueben Akili of the Combined Harare Residents Association expressed concern over the city's inability to provide critical services at a time when it was considering such an extravagant expenditure.

"We call upon the Mayor to intervene. Those involved in the shenanigans should stop such practices. It is retrogressive," he said.