Friday, March 29, 2024

Nawakwi accuses PF pocketing US$30million from dubious tender

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FDD President Edith Nawakwi
FDD President Edith Nawakwi

FDD President Edith Nawakwi has accused the PF of pocketing over 30 million US Dollars through a dubious tender awarded to one of the companies owned by one friends of the party.

Speaking at a media briefing Ms. Nawakwi challenged President Edgar Lungu to explain to the how a named company had won the tender when it was the most expensive among the the companies that submitted their bids.

She said President Lungu should explain as to why a bidder who was charging 1million Dollars per tender was picked and not the on charging 150,000 US Dollars

“We want President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to explain his logic for selecting the highest bidder who was charging 1 million dollars per fire tender and not the lowest bidder who was charging 150,000 dollars per piece. Procurement practices demand that you pick the lowest bidder otherwise you have to justify why you cannot pick the lowest bidder.

“We are shocked that amongst the bidders that were not selected, there are actually manufacturers of vehicles such as IVECO, NAFFCO, FIRE RAIDERS LIMITED and many others. Yet Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu has selected a middleman, an individual in Lusaka and not even the local car dealers such as BUK and AUTO CARE. All these have been ignored in preference to a company of traders,” she said.

She further said there was no doubt that most of the money went to PF officials whom she accused of not caring for the people.

“It is clear from this transaction that the people’s money has gone into the pockets of the PF leaders. The PF leaders are callous, senseless and lack empathy for the people of Zambia.

Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu goes to marketeers and pretends that he is a very caring person by giving them crumbs of the so called loans. Truly, what he is giving out to the marketeers cannot even amount to half a million dollars.

We wish to challenge Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu to tell the people of Zambia where he is getting the money he is loaning out to the marketeers because there is no budget line for an expenditure of this nature in the 2015/2016 National Budget,” she said.

She warned that at the rate the PF were going President Lungu would face the courts of law due to corrupt activities adding that most the projects the PF is embarking on are meant to enrich themselves and not improve the lives of the people.

Ms. Also provided a list of companies which submitted bids for the supply of fire tenders.

Name of company plus amount in US dollars

1:AUTO CARE (Z) LIMITED
6,333,000

2:SINOUNIZAM CONSTRUCTION
9,970,600

3:NAFFCO
14, 948,200

4:HAB INTERNATIONAL EURO
12,799,500

5:ICONIC
12, 726,000

6:BUK
14,052,444

7:HLEBT ZGLER
14,695,800

8:FIRE RAIDERS PTY LIMITED
18,624,912

9:SAVENDA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED
19,318,720

10:AUTO MART EURO
18,318,720

11:HANDYMAN’S PARADISE
21,630,546

12:IVECO SA(PTY) LIMITED
23,499,000

13:VISHA SUPPLIES LIMITED
38,411,963

14:GRANDVIEW LIMITED
42,000,000

15:EN3 CO. LIMITED
39,860,000

39 COMMENTS

  1. Lungu is trying to cash in before he`s booted out of state house. N-way don`t worry Madam Nawakwi. HH will follow up all these crimes and bring Chargwa and friends to account for every cent. it will be the new deal administration part 2. It appears Chargwa did not learn a thing or two from Chiluba and RB. He might not be as lucky as his predecessors, jail time is a high possibility under UPND. Watch the space. For he`s Innocent till proven Guilty. In fact we`ll bring back Mutembo Nchito to try Chargwa. This time Mutembo won`t miss.

    • And some PF Cadre will come out and defend their looting of the treasury. These guys are eating while you don’t even have a pot to piss in.

    • Lungu is in charge and he should take responsibility for any corruption involving his officers.

      Definitely if he is quiet about this deal then he knows something about the rot and his account is smiling.

      We shall claw back all the loot these thieves stole and use it to pay back the loan.

    • Nawaki, i guess you went to school, you should know that the lowest bidder is not the best bidder. What is important there is meeting the specifications of the tender, qualified man power and being able to deliver before you are paid.

      You just lost that bid, don`t drag the president in all this.

    • Alfred please explain to us why you would pick a middleman instead of a manufacturer since you claim to know something about procurement.

    • @Alfred Hambaye: Surely Govt can deal directly with the OEM to supply Fire Tenders. This can include after sales service/ maintainance etc. Why deal with an Individual who happens to be the most expensive? This is taxpayers money and we should all take the Govt to task if we think our money is being misused, unless of course you are a beneficiary of the loot, then you will not you will not see anything wrong with misuse of public money.

    • Now these are issues, this is what the Opposition should be bringing out and holding the Government of the day accountable including the total loans borrowed, verified expenses , how the loans will be paid back, wastage in terms of interest payments.

  2. This is more in line with what opposition should be doing, but not in a vengeful way. Edith nailed the approach, but went back to her habits of accusing the President directly of pocketing the money she alleges has been misappropriated. Also ACC should have this allegation and evidence to investigate and while that is going on allegations and charges by civil society against one another is not acceptable. She should ask for an enquiry not this haphazard thinly veiled attack on the President. We need to keep an eye on all monies being borrowed for investment in a serious approach.

  3. Edith is right to accuse Jameson of being the eventual beneficiary. There is nothing that happens in this country without the involvement of the president. MCS went further to tell us that he was even checking out what we were doing in the privacy of our bedrooms. The more reason we want presidential powers reduced & independence of institutions of governance strengthened.

    • But in the West, Personal Email access is being given to Employers by Law. 1984, is being played out in Cyberspace. Whistle blowers are in hiding in Russia. Where will you find this gov’t us monitored space you crave, beloved? Houses they give you have no sound proofing so that you can hear everything your neighbour is saying and doing in his abode. Cameras on ever street, and Housing Estate.

      The world has changed. Civil Liberties have been watered down and seemingly unable to organise against this. Just be grateful for your comforts and live simple.

  4. @ Itizi 5
    But in the West, Personal Email access is being given to Employers by Law. 1984, is being played out in Cyberspace. Whistle blowers are in hiding in Russia. Where will you find this gov’t us monitored space you crave, beloved? Houses they give you have no sound proofing so that you can hear everything your neighbour is saying and doing in his abode. Cameras on ever street, and Housing Estate.

    The world has changed. Civil Liberties have been watered down and seemingly unable to organise against this. Just be grateful for your comforts and live simple.

  5. But why would the president be involved in bids and choosing the bidder? Isn’t there a department in the government that does this?

  6. This is simply shocking. ..we need a complete overhaul of the procurement process..imagine how much funds have disappeared due to single sourcing to the Chinese!!

  7. We have the accusation, now can we have the government reaction before we start commenting for real. Corruption on a grande scale is what is being alleged. We borrow money only to give it to one or two people. Ya I am already commenting, let me hold off first!!!

  8. Jail is smelling for MR ECL. No wonder the desperation to hang on after 8/11. Ati poor President is selfless because of poverty, but see the massive plunder they are engaged in. You will lose everything once booted out of power Mr ECL. Don’t blame the next President for jailing you because you are deliberately being reckless.

  9. Truth be told this is NOT reassuring at all, for us poor Zambians, as we all know NO Ex- Zambian leader has ever been imprisoned for swindling the nation/ dipping their dirty long fingers into the National coffers.
    They all go Scot free, & never get asked to return their ill gotten gains, some even dying “Happy Free Men” with bulging pockets.
    LETS NOT DELUDE OURSELVES, THESE CROOKS WILL BE LEFT FREE TO ENJOY THEIR BOUNTY!

  10. I do not know the other details but you cannot get a modern new fire tender for $150,000. That is a scrap and old model. I know from experience from one of the mines who bought one for $250,000 and it has never worked.

  11. Refer to above figures first before you misfire again with Edith.
    “Name of company and amount in dollars”

    1. Autocare USD 6,333,000
    .
    .
    14. Grandview USD 42,000,000

    I can’t see any company from ediths’ list offering USD 150,000 as lowest or usd1,000,000 as the highest. Where is the logic in Edith analysis or is it me who is lost.

    • @HH Techilema: Edith’s figures are correct. The figures quoted are totals for 42 Fire Engines. If you multiply 42 x Us$150,000 = Us$6,300,000.00 and 42 x Us$1,000,000 = Us$42Million. The other tenders have different costs per fire engine.

  12. Edith said a bid of $150,000 per tender, among others, was ignored – probably meaning for each fire engine. I suppose they were ordering 30. The govt. picked the one charging $1,000,000 per fire engine (hence $30 million) Those figures are totals.

  13. Our new dual citizens in America or anywhere they sell new fire tenders. How much does a new and respectable fire tender cost there?,? One that can suit the spec of “government procured for a district in Zambia for demonstration of a working government”. Clearly the one reported by @smiley was probably procured under similar circumstances!! Help us so we can understand the magnitude if any of this alleged embezzlement!!!!

  14. AS A PROCUREMENT BLABLA AS SOMEONE SAID UP THERE…… BUYING GOODS /SERVICES COULD BE TECH AND A LOT OF PIPO GET INVOLVED..
    -YOU NEED ENGINEERS/ECOMONIST/POLITICIANS/ACCOUNTANTS/COMMUNITY ETC
    -WHY: OUR ROLE IS PURELY TO GUIDE THE AUTHORITY TO FOLLOW THE NORMAL LAID DOWN PROCEDURES WHICH AIMS AT SAVING THE END USER.
    – THESE PROCDURES ARE LAID DOWN AND OUR ROLE IS TO ENFORCE THEM TO A CERTAIN LIMIT. IF THE AUTHORITY GOES OTHER WAYS OUR ROLE ONLY END AT MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS WHY WE IF THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE THAT WAY BUT THE OTHER WAY.
    – IF YOUR SO CALED LEADERS GOES IWAY. WE PREPARE WHAT THEY IF IS RIGHT AND WE MAKE THEM SIGN FOR IT TO HANG THEMSELVES …AND WE ARE READY TO BE KEY WITNESS FOR THE ZAMBIAN PIPO.
    – I KNOW YOU MUST BE SAYING THE WE ARE TOOTHLESS..SMHOW YES…..JUST LIKE…

  15. You imbeci.les Tenders are based on experience, references, reputation etc. I could have gone in with a $10000 bid that doesn’t make me the most suitable bidder? Instead of jumping the gun ask for details. Also it is obvious that Nawakwi is being used by one of the bidders that lost out. And the president is never involved in opening and determining the tenders. This is up to the board. Nawakwi is simply trying to score cheap political brownie point by naming the president. I hate reading comments on Lusaka times. Full of uneducated arguments with no merit. Always based on innuendos.When procuring capital assets the government ought to stay away from Chinese Junk. It is cheaper but won’t last.

  16. CONTINUES……………….
    – I KNOW YOU MUST BE SAYING THE WE ARE TOOTHLESS..SMHOW YES…..JUST LIKE YOU TOO IN YO PROFESSION LIKE TOWN PLANNER/ARCTECS/ENG /ECO /ACs ETC FOR TWON PLANNER WORSE U WAIT FOR POLITICIANS TO PLAN FOR U THEN U GO TO FIX WAY A ROAD SHOULD PASSS.
    -SO GOING BACK TO HWY WE NID SO MANY PIPO IN OUR PLANNING STAGE LIKE ENG / ECO / AC’s ETC……SOME SERVICES / GOODS ARE TECH IN NATURE WE NID DRAWINGS /QUANTIFYING COSTS ETC TO ARRIVE AT THE RIGHT PRICE/QUALITY/REASONABLE DELIVERY TIME ETC.
    – POLITICIANS NORMALY PLAY A NEGATIVE ROLE MOST AND OFTENLY INFLUENCES MOST DECISIONS BY MAINLY PRETENDING TO PLZ THE PIPO BUT ENRICHING THEMS. WHY ONLY U KNOWS.
    – AS EARLIER SAID ..OUR WEAKNESS IN ZAMBIA ARE THE SYSTEMS. GOVERNMENT SHOULD OPERATION WITH OR NO…

  17. CONTINUES………..
    – AS EARLIER SAID ..OUR WEAKNESS IN ZAMBIA ARE THE SYSTEMS. GOVERNMENT SHOULD OPERATION WITH OR NO POLITICIANS
    – SO THE TECH PROCUREMENT KEY IS QUALITY/DURABILITY/CONFORMITY ETC THEN PRICE WHICH CAN BE NEGOTIATED. SO HOW TECH THE ABOVE IS ONLY NAWAKWI KNOWS AT THE MOMENT AND TRYING TO INVOLVE US NOW. WE GET TO KNOW THESE THINGS AT THE END WHY KNOW ONE KNOWS. WEN THINGS GOES OUR WAY WE ARE QUIET AND PROCUREMENT BLABLA’S DID A GOOD JOB.
    -ALSO GUYS U NID TO KNW THAT SM FUNDS COME WITH THR ON CONDITIONS TO FOLLOW. JUST LIKE WEN YO SPOUSE GET PAID/GET KALOOBA.
    SOME FUND RESTRICT U FROM GET SERVICES/GOODS FROM CERTAIN GROUPINGS/ STATES SUPPORT LOCALS/ ENPOWER YOUTHS ETC…….SO THOSE RESTRICTIONS MAY FALL ON PIPO LIKE NAWAKWI / GBM ETC AND THEY WILL BE SPELLED TO…

  18. CONTINUES……….
    SOME FUND RESTRICT U FROM GET SERVICES/GOODS FROM CERTAIN GROUPINGS/ STATES SUPPORT LOCALS/ ENPOWER YOUTHS ETC…….SO THOSE RESTRICTIONS MAY FALL ON PIPO LIKE NAWAKWI / GBM ETC AND THEY WILL BE SPELLED TO THEM WHY THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.
    – FOR YOU ALL U GET IS THE FAUL CRY IN THE POST AND CONCLUDE.

    SO PROCUREMENT BLABLA……COULD BE WIDE AND COMPLICATED THAN U MAY THINK……ITS A COLLECTIVE ACTIVITY WHERE A WIN-WIN KEEPS PIPO HAPPY BUT THERE IS ALSO A WIN-LOOSE SITUATION.

  19. Example of cost of a decent fire truck not chinese:
    by Matt Marquardt –

    MASON CITY – The Mason City Fire Department needs a new 105 foot fire engine.

    The cost would be roughly $1 million. The Mason City Council held a budget hearing last Tuesday and this was a major topic.

  20. By Ryan Blessing

    Posted Aug. 26, 2009 at 12:01 AM
    Updated Aug 26, 2009 at 6:26 PM

    Colchester, Conn.
    The town’s new fire truck will cost about $618,000, which is $142,000 less than voters authorized the department to spend.
    It also is $71,000 higher than the lowest bid for the project, but the low bid of $547,389 did not meet the bid specifications, Colchester Hayward Volunteer Fire Department Chief Walter Cox said.
    The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Aug. 20 to award the contract to Marion Fire Apparatus of Marion, Wis.
    Cox said Marion “did everything we asked them to do.” It submitted the second lowest bid.
    Colchester voters in May authorized spending $760,000 on a new fire truck and $280,000 on a new ambulance.
    The fire department plans to replace a 1982 engine tank…

  21. Consider the stage where Zambia is, how complicated do the fire trucks need to be? We have a useless parliament as it should have been taken up since as Ms Nawakwi points out there is no provision for fire tenders in the budget thus someone has some explaining to do!

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