Former Ambassador to Ethiopia and Opposition Patriotic Front Presidential Aspirant, Emmanuel Mwamba has reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission a tender issued by ZESCO for the supply and delivery of 40,000 wooden poles.
ZESCO has shortlisted 10 foreign companies from Zimbabwe and South Africa to supply and deliver the poles.
In a letter dated 6th April 2022, Mr Mwamba said the use of direct bidding for a tender requiring colossal sums of money was being motivated by corruption.
Mr Mwamba has also requested the Zambia Public Procurement Authority to order the cancellation of the tender as it was not transparent or objective and irregularly issued.
Mr Mwamba said the action to exclude ZAFFICO, Copperbelt Forest Company and other Zambian companies was not justified and that the tender was being driven by motives of corruption as the method used to single-source the foreign suppliers, was dubious.
“Zambian entrepreneurs can arrange similar logistical arrangements to supply ZESCO with the Poles at the right quantity, time and price if given a fair chance and opportunity, ” he said.
Mr Mwamba said the use of direct bidding or single-sourcing is used in emergency circumstances and the supply of wooden poles to ZESCO did not warrant such a method and also wondered why local suppliers were denied an opportunity when on the list of the foreign ten (10) suppliers that ZESCO has shortlisted, it has middlemen on it.
“”The attempt to show that this procurement is urgent and required direct bidding to the exclusion of Zambian companies, and on the pretext that it will be cheaper for ZESCO is defeated by the presence of middlemen on the list and the exclusion of both ZAFFICO and Copperbelt Forest Company, ” he charged.
Mr. Mwamba delivered the letter to the ACC and signed an official statement of complaint.
Very good.
It’s good move, it’s better than issuing tantrums in the press. However, if Zesco had sought authority from ZPPA then the matter won’t get anywhere. My concern is the revelation by Mwamba that there are middlemen involved. I hope the Great Kabaka won’t interfere with this case. Good afternoon Great Kabaka, when are you going to order the release of the nonentity mosquito Tayali? Sishuwa has is keeping his record on events so that he can rate your performance from time to time
Crying because PF financiers have the strangle hold in this business and will lose out………..
Because under lungu only the PF caders and ministers like GBM were given these contracts………….
Well now i think that these PF cadres are going too far, We cannot be sitted and allow a clique of thieves holding the entire country to ransom. And report to ACC,ACC is looking for this thief too for the money he was getting paid by Zesco while he worked there. So they wud be celebrating that the thief brought himself in for an easy arrest. So there is no ACC in Zambia that will take any report from this nonentity.
The minister already explained why zesco had to buy poles from other countries. Anyway you are free to waste your time as you wish. I wish you had shown the same amount of vigor when PF was single sourcing second hand fire trucks at $1million.
Infact its not a group of Opposition leaders,its a group of Bemba thieves that were in the previous regime who were stealing,Look at the list of all those complaining ? all NOrtherners and here and there the few Easterners that they cud corrupt. These pigs are denting the entire Northern block and its up to the Sober northers to stop these deperados from denting the entire region cos their custom,tradition and tribe is at a very stake now. Even those that are not Bemba speak their mother language normally but when they are caught after stealing they start to speak in Bemba.
There is no ACC,Zambia Police, DEC or any FIC that will entertain these thieves. WHere did you hear a THIEF reporting an innocent citizen for stealing? The whole world is closed for these Thieves so whatever HH decides to do with them,will happen. Cos the world including America is looking for them for deporting their Ambassador, Rwanda is looking for them for the Rebels they sponsored to distabilize Kagame. UK,Germany the entire was vocal against them through and through when they used to respond with “Sovereign State” while going there with a begging bow for aid. Atleast HH international Dignatories & Organisations used to come to offer solidarity but when these carcases are arrested you wont see even a single fly.
#5 Razor. First thing…if PF broke the law it’s okay for Upnd to break the law… this is very good because Zambia will be able to maintain her reputation as a corrupt country.
Second… The minister’s word or explanation doesn’t guarantee us that the deal is free from corruption… but it’s okay because even PF ministers used the same tactics and most importantly we will maintain our reputation as corrupt nation.
We have to do everything to ensure that we continue voting for corrupt elements so that nobody takes away our title of A CORRUPT COUNTRY.
How can corruption be established where no money has even been paid? If Emmanuel Mwamba had good intentions, he would have formally written to Zesco to seek an explanation. He’s no expert in materials Zesco uses and has no idea who has been supplying poles to Zesco, at what price and where they were sourced.
Just because Mr. Mwamba thinks there could be a corruption motivation, doesn’t mean there is one already. ACC can investigate if there was corruption on done deals or transactions, but in this case, it’s in the bidding phase therefore there is nothing ACC could do at this stage, Mwamba has NOT provided any facts, other than claiming that there was corruption. So all of you excited Mwamba funs, tekanyeni !!!
Secondly. there are no entrepreneurs in Zambia to do this. This issue of poles has been on the table for many years, and no one ever indulged themselves to grow the trees that meet ZESCO requirements, instead we had PF cadres who acted as cash-milking entrepreneurs. It’s the same people now crying foul because they have lost their cow.
That’s PF for you instead of writing to the minister to empower ZAFFICO busy reporting to ACC…what is ACC going to do? The govt already stated that they will procure cheaper from the manufacturer and our own state firm never bidded.
It`s important for ZESCO to exhibit levels of transparency in acquisition of materials they need. Zambians didn`t vote to just change faces but the way reform how the country is governed.
HE A TIME WASTER
ZAMBIA FOR ONE DOESNT HAVE MATURE TREES FOR THE SIZE OF POLES ORDERED
OUR POLES ARE ONLY SUITABLE FOR INTERNAL ELECTRICIFATION AND NOT MAIN TRANSMISSION LINES
GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT
Any normal politician intrested in the development of zambia should be taking ZAFICO and GRZ to task as…………
To why these poles are not grown in zambia to meet demand…………
Not these PF thives…………
more intrested in middleman businesses of their gangs……….
Report those dirty corrupt upnd thugs who are controlling zesco and stealing with no shame.most of them are from one tribe which starts with T
For once a PF politician actually brings about something constructive, rather than insulting the ruling party. Well done! And you can improve on just calling ACC on the poles matter – there’s a lot more corruption in Zesco than just that: just ask how many Zesco managers have actually PAID for their electricity connection; you will find out the number is ZERO!
Yes indeed. Remember, Sishuwa is keeping his record on events so that he can rate your performance from time to time, as you help fight corruption present, future and past.
As citizens let us push for and demand that Zesco stops using wooden poles which are very expensive and not very long lifespan. We should instead lobby for Concrete poles. They can be made locally and shared province by province.
So the demand for Eastern province should be manufactured in Eastern province and delivered there.
It will also save on duplication of transport and have a longer lifespan.
Some co operatives and be empowered to manufacture concrete poles.
You will not find any developed country use wooden poles.
Let us move on plz
TREES TAKE YEARS TO MATURE
#19 TIKKI These trees have not planted today. We have been planting trees even before you were born. As we cut trees we we plant new ones. There’s gap. Take note of Mwamba’s point that our local companies like zaffico and CBF were not given a chance. Please don’t defend out of emotional passion.
Emmanuel tries to dabble into everything to remain relevant. The chap is exposing himself for the empty bag that he has always been. You don’t necessarily have to oppose everything Mr Mwamba and you dont have to know everything. ZESCO are on point on this one. No barking will change the facts.
I thought such short cuts of business … ended during privatization…
Very good move by Mr Mwamba, This is the way to go if Zambia Shall Be Saved.
Next, I want to see the Zambian Embassy in South Africa and Ethiopia audited in detail
Fellow Zambians, time has come for us to support ideas and not individuals. We should leave these partisan politics to our grade 9s or lower. What amabassador Mwamba has brought up is a very important national issue which Hakainde himself condemned when he was in opposition. Sourcing for corruption. If the move by PF was wrong and was condemned by all opposition political parties, it is still wrong when commited by the so called ” New dawn” regime. There are so many corrupt UPND sympathisers and should be hunted down just like they are hunting down PF thugs. Why should we have sacred cows in UPND? HH himself will have to account at some point.
I think Hichilema should have told Paul Kagame that it was Mwamba in Chiluba and Sata’s governments who was the envoy of gun running for diamonds on behalf of the Interharamwe and Banyamulenge rebels in Rwanda who killed millions of innocent Tutsis. And we know what Paul Kagame does with such tombolilos, u nyelile pweletete wena kanamunungu tuwe.