Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has called for greater integrity, transparency and accountability in public procurement systems across Southern Africa, warning that weak oversight and unethical conduct continue to undermine public spending and development efforts.
Speaking at the opening of the inaugural Southern African Public Procurement Forum and the launch of the Zimbabwe Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS) Report 2026 in Harare on Wednesday, Dr Chiwenga said governments must anchor procurement processes on strong governance principles.
The forum, held under the theme “Transforming Public Procurement for Sustainable Growth and Regional Integration in Southern Africa,” brought together regional stakeholders to discuss reforms aimed at improving service delivery, strengthening governance and promoting economic integration.
Dr Chiwenga said procurement challenges in the region extended beyond technical deficiencies, highlighting direct procurement abuse, conflicts of interest and limited public participation as major concerns.
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“Many of the challenges confronting public procurement are not solely technical in nature,” he said.
“They require strong institutions, political commitment and effective enforcement mechanisms. Without effective compliance systems, even the most well-crafted legal frameworks and efficient technologies risk becoming ineffective in practice.”
He said regional procurement reforms were becoming increasingly important as Southern African economies deepen integration through the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The Vice President described digital transformation as one of the greatest opportunities for improving procurement systems but cautioned that technology alone could not eliminate corruption and inefficiency.
“Technology alone cannot substitute integrity, accountability and ethical leadership,” Dr Chiwenga said.
“They must strengthen transparency, enhance accountability and improve efficiency across the procurement cycle.”
He reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to transparency and prudent management of public resources, stressing that procurement processes should remain open to scrutiny.
“Public trust must remain the cornerstone of public administration,” he said.
Dr Chiwenga urged Southern African countries to strengthen procurement authorities, build institutional capacity, protect whistle-blowers and support anti-corruption initiatives.
“Strong institutions remain the foundation of sustainable development and good governance. We must build procurement systems that inspire confidence, safeguard public resources and accelerate development across our region,” he said.
The Vice President also highlighted Zimbabwe’s progress in evaluating its procurement systems, saying the country completed a comprehensive national assessment within eight months, significantly faster than the global benchmark of 18 months for a four-pillar assessment.
He said the achievement demonstrated Zimbabwe’s commitment to procurement reform, institutional strengthening and continuous improvement.
The 2026 MAPS report identifies areas requiring further attention, particularly in accountability systems, electronic government procurement, legal frameworks and sustainable procurement practices.
Dr Chiwenga said the findings would provide an evidence-based framework to guide future reforms and improve the effectiveness of public procurement systems in Zimbabwe.
