MYSTERY SURROUNDS MoH TENDER SCANDAL
Health Minister Sylvia Masebo could not be reached for a comment as calls placed on her mobile phone were not answered.
Professor Lack Kasonka, the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary could also not respond to the query sent to him and neither did he answer many of the phone calls placed on his mobile phone.
The money the Ministry of Health has used to award tender tenders for the construction of new maternity annexes, mothers’ shelters, renovation of staff houses and water reticulation was given to the Zambia by Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) under the PeaCe Health Programme.
But senior officials are all distancing themselves from the corruption scandal as none is now willing to comment on the matter while some have claimed ignorance despite the tender having been authenticated through their offices.
The officials contacted within the Ministry of Health claimed that they had no idea about the tenders and could not comment on the matter.
After receiving the money, the Ministry of Health went on to float tender number MOH/ORD/W/004/22 for the proposed renovations and installations of water reticulation for the proposed Maternity Annexes, Mothers’ Shelters, Out-Patient Department (OPD), Mother and Child Health Facility (MCH), Staff Houses and Borehole Drilling, Equipping and Reticulation at various facilities in respective districts of Easter (14) and Southern (13) Provinces under the PeaCe Health Program.
The tender was to attract 81 bidders out of which only six were awarded the tender with SJ Top Brands Media Limited, a media company whose core business, according the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) is advertising, marketing research and public opinion polling.
SJ Top Brands Media Limited has been awarded a tender at a sum value of K6.7 million to construct New Maternity Annexes, New Mothers’ Shelter and renovate three staff houses in Chikankata, Siavonga, Gwembe, Mazabuka, Monze and Pemba respectively.
It also included the construction of a New Maternity Annexes at Nansenga and Sianyolo Health Centres in Chikankata and Siavonga respectively as well as a Mothers’ Shelter in Gwembe district.
But a check from the NCC by the Daily Nation has revealed that some of the companies which have been awarded the tender, including SJ Top Brands Media Limited were not registered with NCC but had record with PACRA.
The revelations that a media company has been awarded a construction tender has angered the construction companies, many of whom had bided for the tender but could not be considered even when they had met all the procurement requirements.
The construction companies are now accusing the Ministry of Health of engaging in corruption by awarding tenders to companies that were neither qualified nor members of the National Construction Council.