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The Zimbabwe National Road Administration could have been duped by a local firm into buying a second-hand jet patcher for close to US$300 000, a price equivalent to that of a new one.
According to ZBC News, a jet patcher bought by Zinara and delivered a few days ago is a refurbished machine bought for US$299 920.
Zinara bought two new jet patchers in 2012 and 2013 at the same price as the second-hand one that was delivered on January 24 this year.
The three jet patchers were bought for US$899 760 without going to tender.

Sources privy to the deal told ZBC News that the Zinara board used a middle-man, Alignomile Investments Private Limited, to buy jet patchers from South African company, Inyathi Environmental Technologies owned by Mr Chris Hooman.

A new jet patcher costs US$250 000 and the middle-man puts a mark-up of almost US$50 000.
However, on the third jet patcher delivered last week, Alignomile Investments paid Inyathi Environmental Technologies US$200 000 but sold the machine to Zinara for US$300 000. A second-hand jet patcher costs around US$200 000.

Contacted for comment on the seeming US$100 000 discrepancy, Alignomile Investments’ Mr Hooman referred all questions to one Millicent Nyashanu, who could not be located.
Zinara chief executive officer Mr Frank Chitukutuku said he did not know that the machine was second-hand.
In 2012, Government bought two jet patchers for US$277 000 each after floating a tender.

Mr Chitukutuku said the machines bought by Zinara had back-up plans while those bought by Government did not.
He added that they did not go to tender because there was an urgent need to buy the machinery. — ZBC News.