INDEPENDENT water engineering consultant and businessman Paul Kruger has reportedly proposed a multi-million-dollar project to draw raw water from Mashonaland East province to supply Harare and satellite areas under a deal that has attracted scrutiny.
The businessman, who is a former director at engineering firm, Petrichor Irrigation, has allegedly engaged a steering committee comprising officials from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and the City of Harare. Ruwa, Chitungwiza and Norton are expected to benefit from the planned project.
The Independent on May 27 2022 reported that Petrichor was cherrypicked by the ministry of Local Government to supply US$9,3 million water pumps for Harare.
Kruger is also engaged as a consultant proffering solutions towards addressing Harare’s perennial water challenges.
Apart from acting as a consultant for the government on water-related issues, Petrichor Irrigation has in the past clinched lucrative deals including the supply of water pumps to local authorities. This has raised questions of conflict of interest.
In May, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) confirmed to this publication that the water pumps procurement deal had attracted its interest.
Kruger recently pitched to the steering committee the idea of pumping raw water from the Muchekeranwa Dam near Marondera, which will be treated at the Prince Edward plant in the capital.
The water will then be pumped to Chitungwiza, Ruwa, Norton and the capital’s northern areas.
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City of Harare acting Town Clerk Mabhena Moyo confirmed the development.
“We are looking for a provincial solution. Chitungwiza might go on their own but we are trying to have a provincial solution because we have the bulk of the infrastructure,” he said.
“We have been doing studies around that. Kruger was pushing for a solution, which would involve pushing water from the Muchekeranwa Dam into that catchment area through Ruwa.”
A source familiar with the proposed project said: “It would be equipped with industrial water pumps, and setting up of a distribution network among other critical equipment”.
Ministry of Local Government permanent secretary Zvinechimwe Churu told the Independent that Kruger was a consultant but did not comment on the projects.
“Paul is engaged as a consultant for the government on various water issues. Your sources are misleading you. It is the government exploring possible sources for a sustainable solution to water provision in greater Harare, without necessarily being fixated on one source,” he said.
“As we do so, we consult various agencies, including local authorities, and rope in experts. So, you have been misinformed that Kruger has been lobbying us as the government. On the contrary, it is the government that is assessing possibilities of addressing water and sanitation in the short, medium and long term so that we have infrastructure and service delivery that matches the vision we are committed to attaining, of an upper middle-income country by 2030,” Churu said.
Responding on whether a public tender was flighted to award Kruger the contract to offer consultancy services, Churu highlighted that government had other means to do so without “flighting tenders in the press”.
“I have responded to relevant questions. The government will not engage consultants without following due processes,” he said.
“Unfortunately, you have sources that are not seeking progress for Harare and are busy looking for possible weaknesses.
“If you take time to read our legislation you will find that there are methods the government can use when procuring goods or services. They do not necessarily entail flighting tenders in the press,” Churu added.
Deputy minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Vangelis Haritatos could not respond as he was travelling. “My apologies I am en route to Canada on official government business. Please get in touch with Honourable (Davison) Marapira, especially on water issues which fall within his portfolio,” he said.
Marapira did not respond to questions by the time of going to print.
Documents seen by the Independent show that Chitungwiza submitted a US$300 million proposal to the government for the construction of the Muda and Nyatsime Dams to address its water woes.
Kruger did not respond to questions. Sources told the Independent that he was in Australia “for private business”.
In the resort town of Victoria Falls, the ministry of Local Government and Public Works directed the authority to reverse a US$1,5 million tender it had awarded to Cascade Engineering for the supply of water pumps in favour of Petrichor Irrigation, which was charging US$3,5 million. During that time, Kruger was a director at the company. The company was contracted by the City of Harare to do “ancillary works” for US$1,5 million to be financed from devolution funds in 2022.
