By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |
The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has been beaten to a power tender in its backyard by an Indian firm, Technofab Engineering.
The tender for emergency power infrastructure rehabilitation at Prince Edward Dam, Airport, Mufakose and Glen View sub-stations in Harare was issued in November 2015 and approved in May this year.
The 540 day project is being funded under the Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund management unit.
According to a publication of award of contract advertised at the weekend, ZESA lost the bid on grounds of “non-compliance” and was part of nine firms from Zimbabwe, India, UK, Virgin Islands and China that were vying for the tender.
The other bidders were Apollo International Ltd (India), Mitrelli Group Ltd (British Virgin Islands/Zimbabwe), Power Line Africa (Zimbabwe), China National Cable Engineering Corp (China), Helcraw Electrical (Pty) Ltd (Zimbabwe), BES Europe Ltd (UK), Chint Electric Co. Ltd (China) and the winner, Technofab.
ZESA has of late been marred by allegations of fraud that have sucked in the current Energy minister, Samuel Undenge.
The local power utility had placed a bid price of $5.137,963 while Technofab won the tender at $2,859,454.
Most of the bidders were asking for prices above the winning cap that also includes provisional sums.
The highest quotation, at $14,318,672 was made by Zimbabwe’s Helcraw Electrical (Pty) Ltd.
Zimbabwean business entities have since the hyperinflationary period that ended with the replacement of the local currency with a basket of foreign currencies in 2009 been accused of inflating prices.
The project will involve an upgrade of the existing substation at Prince Edward (PE) Dam, the 33kV feeder bay at Airport substation and the installation of new 11kV feeder cables from power transformers to the 11kV board at PE.
It will also include the installation of supervisory control and data acquisition systems at the Firle sewage works in Glen View and Mufakose. Nehanda Radio
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