Sandringham High School paid USD 215,000, approximately $45,000 more than Kwenda High, for a school bus, raising serious concerns about procurement fraud and financial mismanagement, according to a recent audit report.
Internal audit results conducted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in January 2025 revealed that Vordim Trading sold their bus to Sandringham at an excessively inflated cost compared to what Kwenda High paid – USD$170,000 respectively for similar models.
Audit findings at Sandringham High revealed violations of the Public Procurement Act, as the school awarded over USD 516,000 without competitive bidding, specifically to Vordim Trading, which was deemed at high risk of abuse or subject to improper processing practices.
Parents and stakeholders have voiced outrage at the price discrepancy.
One anonymous parent asked, Who benefited from this markup? Additionally, this disparate pricing suggests possible collusion or mismanagement within procurement procedures.
Kenias Papiro, Director of Vordim Trading, expressed confidence in their pricing structure by telling Zimcelebs News they charged consistent prices across their product offerings despite any variations in costs. “Our prices don’t differ as such,” Papiro explained.
Audit findings also exposed other irregularities: Classifield Investments was paid USD 22933.71, without proof of delivery, for construction materials, while Purpose Engineering received an award to supply bakery equipment despite prior rejection by the procurement committee (and later found to have supplied secondhand and substandard equipment).
Reverend Dr. Muzenda responded in writing to the local publication by noting the Church had received and reviewed its audit report, taking note of any recommendations it contained as they related to discipline within it and acting upon any that applied directly or indirectly, disciplinary action where necessary. We appreciate these efforts being undertaken,” he noted, adding “and we thank those for making suggestions that we are paying heed to and adopting where applicable”.
However, calls for further investigations are intensifying.
Former School Development Committee Secretary Dr. George Dhliwayo recently asked the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Education, and the Auditor-General to look into price discrepancies as well as any possible collusion among suppliers and school officials.
Dr. Dhliwayo asserted, “Justice must be served against those responsible, be they school heads, MCZ officials or suppliers. Parents deserve answers, as this loan guarantee was secured through them.”
