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Court Reporter

Deputy director in the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Blessed Ishmael Murwira Majiga, who allegedly presided over the awarding of a tender to JR Investments (Pvt) Limited for the supply of two aircraft for national cloud-seeding, spent another night in custody yesterday after the court failed to hear his bail application.

Although he acknowledged that bail applications were of urgent nature, Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna said he was overwhelmed with other commitments and could not entertain his application.

Mr Nduna then set Majiga’s matter to today for bail application. Majiga, who is being represented by lawyer Mr John Ndomene is charged with criminal abuse of office.

The State led by Mr Ephraim Zinyandu alleges that on September 15 last year, the ministry called for bidders for two aircraft stationed in Harare and Bulawayo for national cloud-seeding operations.

Bidders had to provide two aircraft with twin engines with full-propeller, air frame de-icing, cloud-seeding, flare dispenser and two-way communication for the pilot and seeding officer.

The aircraft had to be suitable to fly through turbulent clouds and be available throughout the cloud-seeding operation.

An evaluation team comprising Norman Duri, Linear Gopo, someone called Matenda and Tamuka Zivurawa, was set up to evaluate the aircraft, with Majiga as team leader.

JR Investments, Nineteen Twenty (Pvt) Ltd, Cypritaf (Pvt) Limited and Central Air Transport Services (Pvt) Limited, responded to the ministry’s call for bidders.

Mr Zinyandu alleges that JR Investments submitted its bid despite knowing that their planes were grounded and that one was registered for private use.

On November 4 last year, the evaluation team inspected JR Investments’ Baron 58, registration Z-NAB, where it noted that it did not fit the required tender specifications. The same day the team inspected Nineteen Twenty’s aircraft and noted that it could not be modified for cloud-seeding.

They went to Cypritaf (Pvt) Limited, where two twin-engine aircraft with their documentation, were produced.

These had two flare dispenser units mounted and the cloud-seeding equipment was demonstrated in a ground test. The firing mechanisms and the flare dispenser units were also shown during evaluation.

On November 9, 2020, a further evaluation was held at JR Investments offices in Avondale where the firm only produced two cloud-seeding doors.

Then Majiga led his team to Marondera aerodrome to inspect another JR Investment’s plane and discovered that it was grounded and sitting on jacks and it was branded “JR Investments HAC”.

On that day, Majiga, Duri and Zivurawa used their own vehicles to travel to Marondera for evaluations instead of using Government vehicles.

While in Marondera, they also inspected another plane which was undergoing maintenance. It is after the evaluation that Majiga then recommended JR Investments’ aircraft knowing full that they were grounded and did not qualify to undertake the national cloud-seeding operations.

By awarding the tender to JR Investments, Majiga is said to have shown favour to the firm without following the tender specifications, which was inconsistent with his duties as a public officer.