Zimpapers Logo

Midlands Reporter
KWEKWE City Council has awarded four companies tenders to supply the city with 300 prepaid water meters.

The awarding of the tenders to the four companies follows a council resolution, bringing to finality the matter that had threatened the project for years.

Last year, the city fathers raised a red flag over the proposed awarding of a prepaid water meter tender to a company that had quoted the municipality $340 000, a figure above the threshold set by the Government.

Mayor, Councillor Matenda Madzoke, confirmed the development that will see the installation of 300 prepaid water meters.

He said four companies namely Tricon Investments, Hukoshwa Resources, Sidal Engineering and Utility Systems had met the requirements demanded by the local authority.

Clr Madzoke said all the companies will provide 75 units each adding that the decision was made during a full council meeting on Thursday.

“It was resolved that four companies be given the tender to supply the prepaid water meters after meeting the requirements or specifics we want. They will be given specific areas where they will work from,” he told Business Chronicle yesterday.

Clr Madzoke said that the project would go ahead in the next two weeks.

“We had been forced to defer implementing the project following controversy over the awarding of the tender but now that we have granted these companies, they will work as a united team with the local authority to supply the meters,” he said.

Council was forced to cancel the first tender in 2015, which could have seen the local authority pay Tricon Investments $340 000 for the deal until corruption allegations emerged.

The tender, which would have seen the local authority introduce a pilot prepaid-billing system after acquiring 200 prepaid water meters, has been mired in controversy amid allegations of tender manipulation and fraud.