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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ONLY five out of 24 companies that were contracted by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing for major construction work for the 2014 African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games were from Bulawayo.

One was from South Africa and 18 were Harare-based.

This flew in the face of efforts by the Government to capacitate Bulawayo industry and reduce migration of industries to Harare.

Bulawayo was chosen to play host to the Games as part of plans to revive its industrial capacity because the city had suffered the most from years of illegal sanctions despite the fact that it had been established as the country’s industrial hub.

A forensic audit report by Deloitte and Touche showed that only five city companies won tenders floated by the Public Works Ministry.

Bulawayo domiciled companies that won contracts are Kimber Agencies to install laundry equipment at Hillside Teachers’ College, Kyton Agencies that was contracted to install kitchen equipment at Hillside Teachers’ College as well as electrical work at Bulawayo Swimming Pool.

Rockweed Trading was contracted to carry out electrical works at Barbourfields Stadium while Steel Tower won a tender to install flagpoles at all venues and Techno Expert Construction refurbished changing rooms at Luveve Stadium.

Among the Harare-based companies awarded contracts were AC Controls (to supply and install uninterrupted power supply at all Games’ venues), Asphalt Products (refurbishment works at Luveve Stadium), Comhold Services (civil works at Barbourfields Stadium), Drawcard Enterprises (laying tartan track at White City Stadium), Hualong Construction (refurbishing Bulawayo Swimming pool), Jenita Engineering (do structural works at White City and Barbourfields Stadia), Kamatech Projects (installing generators at Luveve Stadium), Manah Building Construction (carrying out builders work at Barbourfields Stadium) and Nextchir Construction (civil works at Hillside Teachers’ College and White City Stadium).

Olimas Engineering (install heating system at Bulawayo Swimming pool), Onel Electrical Engineering (electrical work at White City Stadium), Power Network Projects (electrical works at Bulawayo Athletic Club), Prime and Standby Generators (to supply generators at Hillside Teachers College, Barbourfields and White City Stadia), Shomet Construction (builders work at Bulawayo Athletic Club), Zimbabwe Jiangsu International (to supply and install PA systems at all venues).

South African-based Gimtrac won a tender to supply technical equipment and scoreboards.

The biggest beneficiaries were Drawcard Enterprises and Hualong Construction.

Drawcard Enterprises’ original contract was worth about US$1, 18 million but following some variations, it went up to about US$3, 2 million. Hualong Construction got a US$891 906 tender that eventually went up to about US$1,1million.

“We did not find proof of State Procurement Board (SPB) review for the respective contracts where variations were made,” the auditors noted.