Former Harare City officials have been arraigned before a Harare magistrate facing charges of tender fraud involving US$ 465,000.
Phillip Mabingo Pfukwa (75) and Josephine Ncube (62) appeared before the Regional Anti-Corruption Magistrates’ Court for reportedly unlawfully awarding a US$465,290 contract to an undeserving company while working for the City of Harare.
In 2013, the City of Harare secured a €350,500 grant from the European Union (EU) to design and construct biogas digesters and install a 100KVA biogas generator for the Mbare Biogas Project.
Procurement procedures required a transparent tender process overseen by the Town Clerk and the Procurement Committee.
However, in March 2015, after receiving four bids, Pfukwa (then Director of Works) and Ncube (then Chamber Secretary) bypassed procurement procedures and unlawfully awarded the tender to Synlak Pvt Ltd, a company owned by Moses Mpofu, despite the applicant’s failure to meet standard requirements.
The duo falsified internal memos and misrepresented Synlak’s eligibility, ensuring it won the contract.
In December 2015, Ncube fraudulently signed off the contract, allowing Synlak to receive full payment of US$465,290 despite the company failing to deliver on the project.
The accused persons have been remanded to the 14th of May 2025, pending indictment by the High Court.
