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Anesu Madiye, Harare Bureau
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza yesterday dismissed claims in the private media alleging corruption in the procurement of Airspace Management Systems and Radar Surveillance Systems.

The Zimbabwe Independent yesterday alleged a Spanish company Indra was awarded the deal without going to tender and appeared to accuse Minister Matiza and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) of corruptly handling the matter.

Minister Matiza cleared the air on the matter yesterday in a statement to our Harare Bureau.

“In 2013, CAAZ issued an open international tender for financing and supply of radar systems, navigational aids systems, air traffic control training simulator. The radar surveillance tender was won by Intelcan of Canada and Communication systems tender won by AME ATM of South Africa.

“The Indra tender award for the radar surveillance system was contested in the Supreme Court by Selex, a competitor from Italy and the tender award was set aside. The Supreme Court, in its determination directed that the matter be dealt with under a fresh tender,” said Minister Matiza.

He said five years lapsed without CAAZ addressing the matter due to lack of funding.

“Five years lapsed without the CAAZ addressing the national airspace management challenges due to lack of funding in the economy and absence of vendor financing as well. The international aviation community and airlines raised safety and security concerns about the Zimbabwean airspace and the need for the issues to be addressed urgently.

“Indra Sistemas of Spain through the Spanish Embassy in Harare presented a proposal to finance the project in 2017. The Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe board then sought authority to undertake direct negotiations with the company and that authority was granted by the Office of the President and Cabinet as was provided for in the now repealed Procurement Act (Chapter 22:14) under PBR 11089 of 2 November 2017,” said Minister Matiza.

He said the Office of the President and Cabinet endorsed the deal.

“The office of the President and Cabinet reconfirmed its support for the project by its letter dated 22nd October 2018. Based on this approval the CAAZ negotiated a contract with Indra and is implementing the project with funding being provided by Afreximbank,” said Minister Matiza.

This is contrary to allegations by a local independent weekly that Minister Matiza had not followed Government procurement procedure in the US$33 million deal for air traffic control systems.