Firm seeks secret deal

...to resolve RTSA contract gone bad

SAVENDA Management Services has reportedly approached TechNet Zambia Limited trying to resolve a US$23 million row that broke out between TechNet Zambia Limited and On-Track Innovations over a contract to supply equipment to RTSA.

Savenda Management Services is alleged to have been fraudulently awarded the e-Zamtist tender not being party to the bidding process.

In 2011, Government opened bids for the US$23 million e-Zamtist project under RTSA which involves the installation, commissioning, and implementation of the e-Zamtist project.

Subsequently, the two companies, On-Track Innovations and TechNet Zambia Limited won it but surprisingly TechNet Zambia was left out and instead Savenda Management Services drafted into the project by On-Track Innovations.

TechNet then took the matter to Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) to determine how a foreign company (On-Track Innovations) could vary the terms of a contract to leave a partner out.

TechNet Zambia Limited director Frederick Wamulume hasvowed that his organization would not give up until the tender fraudulently awarded to Savenda Management Services was reversed and has disclosed that Savenda management approached his company with a view of sorting the matter privately.

Mr Wamulume told the Daily Nation that Savenda management approached TechNet Zambia Limited so that a US$23 million row that broke out between TechNet Zambia Limited and On-Track Innovations over a contract to supply equipment to RTSA could be resolved.

He said ZPPA has not yet replied to the complaint TechNet lodged against On-Track Innovations for having drafted Savenda into the project it did not bid for.

Mr Wamulume added that his company has, however, written a second letter of complaint to ZPPA thought Savenda management secretly approached TechNet to resolve the matter.

“Those people (Savenda Management) showed up saying they want to resolve the matter. They called for a meeting where we met them with their lawyers to discuss the issue…They promised to come back to us and we are still waiting from them,

“If we are sorted, we are definitely going to let the nation know because we are not being malicious as this fraud tender is real and we are not scared to expose malpractice. It has nothing to do with government but some certain office bearers who are driving government projects for their personal benefits,” Mr Wamulume said