PRAZ Engagement Highlights Gaps Between Policy and Practice

By Shingirai Vambe

KADOMA – The Government of Zimbabwe has once again reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability in public service delivery, this time through a media engagement workshop organised by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ). Yet, for many observers, such pledges ring hollow against a backdrop of rampant tenderpreneurship, flouted procurement regulations, and entrenched corruption in the awarding of public contracts.

Speaking at the two-day workshop, Director of Media Services in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr. George Chisoko, told journalists that government will continue to uphold open governance practices.

“Our government remains firmly committed to promoting transparency and accountability across all levels of public service,” Chisoko said, citing regular post-Cabinet briefings as part of efforts to keep the media and citizens informed.

Corporate Communications Manager at PRAZ, Mr. Mqhele Tshuma, echoed this sentiment, emphasising that closer engagement with the media would help demystify procurement processes and ensure accurate reporting.

But outside the confines of conference halls and official statements, the reality is starkly different. For years, Zimbabwe’s procurement system has been marred by scandals where tenders worth millions of dollars were awarded to politically connected individuals and companies without the capacity to deliver.

From fire tenders imported at inflated prices, to road rehabilitation contracts abandoned midway, to hospitals left without essential equipment despite massive procurement budgets, Zimbabweans have grown accustomed to seeing corruption siphon off public resources under the guise of “tenders.”

Critics argue that the rise of tenderpreneurs, individuals who thrive by securing state contracts through connections rather than competence, has crippled public service delivery. These shadowy actors have become the face of corruption, feeding on the very system that PRAZ is mandated to regulate.

Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) and other watchdogs have repeatedly flagged loopholes in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, warning that political interference has rendered procurement laws toothless. Even the much-celebrated introduction of the electronic Government Procurement (eGP) system has failed to curb manipulation.

For ordinary citizens, the impact of procurement corruption is painfully visible. Roads remain riddled with potholes despite repeated budget allocations. Schools and clinics in rural areas continue to operate without basic resources. Urban councils struggle with outdated emergency equipment, as witnessed recently when Harare firefighters battled a city blaze with obsolete tools. Each of these failures is linked to a tender that either never delivered or was designed to enrich elites.

At the Kadoma workshop, journalists welcomed the opportunity to better understand procurement systems. “The engagement clarified a lot, but it also highlighted how much of what is said on paper does not translate into practice,” one reporter noted privately.

The contradiction is hard to ignore. While PRAZ stresses the importance of media scrutiny and government officials speak of accountability, contracts continue to be awarded in ways that defy both logic and law.

As one civil society leader aptly put it, “You can polish the glass, but if the water inside is dirty, people will still get sick.” For Zimbabwe, true transparency will only come when the promises of openness match the lived reality on the ground.

Corruption in Zimbabwe has reached alarming levels, with billions of dollars reportedly lost annually through shady procurement deals, tender manipulation, illicit financial flows, and abuse of public funds. Despite repeated government pledges of transparency and accountability, weak institutions, political interference, and lack of enforcement have allowed tenderpreneurs and connected elites to siphon resources unchecked.

Zimbabwe’s tender system has become a double-edged sword, a critical tool for national development when properly managed, but a well-oiled machine for corruption when abused. Until procurement laws are enforced without fear or favour, workshops and pledges will do little to stop tenderpreneurs from thriving while citizens remain trapped in cycles of poor service delivery and economic hardship.

The loss is not only financial, it undermines public trust, cripples service delivery, and stalls economic recovery. Ordinary citizens bear the brunt, as money meant for schools, hospitals, roads, and jobs is diverted into private pockets. Zimbabwe’s corruption crisis has become a systemic cancer, bleeding the nation of opportunities and deepening poverty.