Water authority gives contracts to Zanu PF companies

By Lance Guma
22 February 2007

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority is allegedly giving contracts for the procurement of vital water treatment chemicals to companies owned by Zanu PF officials. According to the Zimbabwean newspaper Highdon Investments, owned by Macdonald Chapfika and another company owned by Leo Mugabe, are set to get the lucrative contracts and supply the water treatment needs of the capital city. Chapfika is brother to the deputy minister of finance David Chapfika, while Leo is Mugabe’s nephew and a Zanu PF Member of Parliament for Makonde.

Previous Zanu PF administrations at Harare’s townhouse have always made room for ruling party officials to line their pockets via dubious tender awards. Jabusile Shumba a senior programmes officer for the Combined Harare Residents Association told Newsreel they are not surprised by the latest developments. He said this was how Zanu PF created jobs and business opportunities for its members under a carefully constructed patronage system.

Companies owned by Chapfika supplied water treatment chemicals to previous government appointed commissions before elections brought MDC mayor Elias Mudzuri. An engineer by trade, Mudzuri quickly realised there were cheaper and more practical avenues that could be pursued in order improve water management in Harare. He negotiated deals with engineers and chemicals from Germany. His success would have meant great losses for Chapfika and ZANU-PF. But Mudzuri was removed illegally by the minister of local government Ignatius Chombo over trumped charges of mismanagement.

Chombo replaced Mudzuri with a commission led by Sekesai Makwavarara, a former MDC councillor who defected to ZANU-PF. ZINWA stepped in and took over water management in Harare and the contracts went back to Chapfika and ZANU-PF.