Ex-SPB boss told to surrender all assets Mr Kuwaza
Charles Kuwaza

Charles Kuwaza

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
Former State Procurement Board chairperson Mr Charles Kuwaza has been given until today to surrender all SPB assets still under his possession, including a Borrowdale house in Harare, that he wanted as part of his exit package.

Mr Kuwaza had engaged lawyers in his quest to take ownership of the house where he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars from the SPB to renovate the house since 2009.

The new SPB board chaired by Ambassador Buzawani Mothobi wrote to Mr Kuwaza’s lawyers, Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans, on April 12 advising them that he could not take the house.

“We wish to advise you that we consulted the Office of the President and Cabinet on the matter,” said acting SPB principal officer, Mr Samson Mutanhaurwa in a letter.

“Please take note that the issues of terminal benefits handled by the Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Ray Ndhlukula, are separate from the requirement to handover State Procurement Board assets as directed by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, contained in the notice of dissolution of the State Procurement Board of October 30, 2015 (Ref AP/27 /425) and further, in his subsequent letter of November 19, 2015 (Ref: AP/27 /435) in response to your client’s letter on the same matter dated November 18, 2015.”

Mr Mutanhaurwa said the SPB principal officer was mandated by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet to receive any assets of the SPB in the possession of Mr Kuwaza as indicated in Dr Sibanda’s letter last November.

Dr Sibanda is quoted as having instructed the principal officer to make necessary arrangements to receive the SPB assets from Mr Kuwaza.

“Clearly, these instructions are not deriving from the State Procurement Board as insinuated by your correspondence, but from the Office of the President and Cabinet, which is the appointing authority represented by the Chief Secretary.

“The principal officer is the custodian of State Procurement Board assets in line with Section 15 as read with Section 27 (1) of the Procurement Act (Chapter 22:14) and the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 22:19).

“The principal officer only pursues to receive on behalf of the State Procurement Board the assets in the possession of your client as directed.

“In light of these clarifications, we anticipate the co-operation by your client to conclude the handover of the State Procurement Board assets as directed before April 15, 2016,” said Mr Mutanhaurwa.

Documents showed that Mr Kuwaza had housing repairs and maintenance done since 2009 totalling $14 000 per year.

The figure came down to about $6 000 in 2010, before shooting to $21 000 in 2011.

The allowance came down to about $17 000 in 2012, but shot to around US$147 000 in 2013.

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