A TELEMEDICINE project, initiated by Jenfan Muswere then as Information Communication Technology minister (now Information minister) set for launch next Friday, faces collapse after being bogged down by endless squabbles — and a subsequent lawsuit — among the implementing partners.
While the idea was to provide a platform for availing and extending medical services to Zimbabweans in rural areas in a prompt and cheaper way, the project has run into problems after Brightspace Innovation Technology Solutions (BITS)’s insistence that “payments be split between the South African firm’s local peer and Africawide Zimbabwe (AZ)”, which was duly awarded the US$1,6 million tender.
“This project came out of a February 2022 Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz)-backed USF/RFP/02/12/2022 tender and whose recognised winner was Douglas Chiimba’s company in collaboration with his associate Donald Mangena’s Johannesburg-based firm in June 2023,” a source said.
“Even though the key national venture is funded and underwritten by the Universal Services Fund (USF), it is the Ministry of Health and Child Care which is the ultimate beneficiary of the project.”
Added the source: “However, problems started when BITS seemingly initiated steps to circumvent its local partners by seeking to replace the contracting parties — being Chiimba’s company and his trans-Limpopo registered entity — with his locally registered Brightspace Innovative Solutions.
“And having accessed nearly US$500 000 in March last year, under the 30% advance payment arrangement, the deal only came to light when AZ wrote to the telecommunications regulator in July 2024 and was categorically told by Gift Machengete that monies had been paid to BITS’ local subsidiary and subsequent letters by the former intelligence administrator about who exactly were the contracting parties.”
While efforts to secure a comment from the South Africa-based businessman were fruitless, documents show that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was initially set to unveil the “marquee initiative” at Zanu PF’s December annual conference — and has been moved to tomorrow’s independence celebrations in Gokwe.
Despite being warned and chided by Machengete through a series of letters, and meetings between July 2024 and March 2025, the BITS owner is still persisting with “his schemes to wrest control of the entire project and seek further payments to non-contracted Zimbabwean parties on the basis that the partners had agreed on such a payment arrangement, and that they had equal powers”.
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And this has now degenerated into a legal fight, and heated exchange between Mangena’s lawyers Dube, Manikai & Hwacha, AZ’s representative Jacob Mutevedzi and the ultimate protective order — under HCH885/25 — for Potraz.
“Despite being reminded by Machengete in September last year that the only recognised party was Chiimba’s company, bold declarations that money could only go to AZ, Clairwood Chambers’ protestations that local companies such as BIS could not supplant contracting parties, the Johannesburg-based businessman is pushing for the lion’s share of the deal since he is the software-rights owner, a desire to see through the key national project by accessing working capital and that he deserves US$1,2 million of the whole deal,” said the source, adding though that the “current disputes and needless bickering risked sinking the noble project now”.
