Govt Spokesperson Defends $439 Million No-Tender Deal for Cancer Equipment
Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana has confirmed that Zimbabwe awarded a US$439 million contract to a South African company without going to tender, a move that has sparked public concern and debate online.
Govt Spokesperson Defends $439 Million No-Tender Deal
The deal is with TTM Global Medical Exports and covers the supply of cancer treatment equipment to hospitals across the country over four years. Mangwana addressed the backlash on his verified X account on Tuesday, 17 June 2025, confirming the authenticity of the contract and defending the decision-making process.
In a post that seemed to unintentionally confirm that the deal skipped public tender procedures, Mangwana argued that the Cabinet is within its rights to approve and implement such transactions without public input.
“As the Executive arm of the State, Cabinet’s role is to make and implement decisions within the law. Transactions sanctioned by Cabinet shouldn’t be assumed corrupt, given the collective nature of the decision-making process,” Mangwana wrote.
Details of the Controversial Contract Between Wicknell Chivayo and Govt
According to documents circulating online, Zimbabwe will pay the company just over US$109 million per year, with monthly instalments of US$9,110,050 starting 30 April 2025. An upfront payment of US$52.5 million was reportedly made in March to help the company mobilise.
The payment schedule for the first year is fixed, with payments due at the end of each month from April 2025 through March 2026. This structure will be repeated every year until the end of the contract in 2029, with all payments made in US dollars via electronic transfer. The terms of the agreement read:
The Procuring Entity shall pay the Supplier an annual total contract price of USD109,320,600.00 (One Hundred and Nine Million Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Six Hundred United States Dollars) per annum over the duration of the contract as follows;
3.49.1 The Procuring Entity shall pay an initial deposit of USD 52,500,000.00 Fifty-Two Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) within 14 (fourteen) days from the date of signature of the Contract, being an advance payment towards the execution and mobilisation of the Supplier’s obligations under this Agreement.
3.49.2 The balance shall be payable in monthly instalments of USD9,110,050.00 (Nine Million One Hundred and Ten Thousand and Fifty United States Dollars) commencing 30 April 2025
3.49.3 Payment Schedule for the First Year (2025-2026)
Following the deposit payment in March 2025, the first instalment shall be due on April 30, 2025, and each subsequent instalment shall be made on or before the last day of each month as follows:
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- 30 April 2025 – USD 9,110,050
- 31 May 2025 – USD 9,110,050
- 30 June 2025 – USD 9,110,050
- 31 July 2025 – USD 9,110,050
- 31 August 2025 – USD 9,110,050
- 30 September 2025 — USD 9,110,050
- 31 October 2025 — USD 9,110,050
- 30 November 2025 — USD 9,110,050
- 31 December 2025 — USD 9,110,050
- 31 January 2026 — USD 9,110,050
- 28 February 2026 — USD 9,110,050
- 30 March 2026 — USD 9,110,050
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3.49.4 This payment structure shall be replicated annually for the remainder of the three (3) years, ensuring full settlement of the Contract Price within the agreed forty-eight (48) month period.
3.49.5 All payments shall be made via electronic funds transfer (EFT) in United States Dollars (USD) to the Supplier’s designated bank account as provided in the financial provisions of this Agreement.
Under the contract, TTM Global is expected to deliver and install all cancer treatment equipment—including radiotherapy machines, chemotherapy infusion systems, imaging devices and monitoring systems—within a three-phase rollout:
a) Phase 1 (First Six Months): Delivery and installation of the first 20% of the total equipment to major referral hospitals and designated provincial hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo.
b) Phase 2 (Months 7-18): Completion of delivery to additional provincial hospitals in Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, and Matabeleland North.
c) Phase 3 (Months 19-24): Distribution of remaining equipment to district hospitals and specialized cancer centers in Midlands, Mashonaland East, and Matabeleland South.
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The post Govt Spokesperson Defends $439 Million No-Tender Deal for Cancer Equipment appeared first on iHarare News.
