By SYLVESTER MWALE-
THE Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has failed to explain how it cancelled a K3.9 million contract awarded to Muchinga Wild Game Capture Services to move 450 wild animals before awarding the same contract to another company.
The Authority contracted Muchinga Wild Game Capture Services to translocate various species of animals to Lusaka National Park and Mosi-o-Tunya in Livingstone at a cost of K3.9 million.
The animals were to come from South Africa as well as private ranches and some national parks ahead of the 2013 UNWTO.
But Muchinga Wild Game Capture Services say while the contract was still running, ZAWA hired Matobo Vet Centre for the translocation of 60 species of eland and beest to Mosi-o-Tunya National Park without terminating the initial contract.
Documents obtained by the Sunday Times indicate that Muchinga Wild Game Capture Services moved 327 animals out of the 450 and the private firm was supposed to be paid more than K2.1 million.
However, according to delivery notices ZAWA only paid K1.4 million to Muchinga Wild Game Capture Services before hiring Matobo Vet Centre to move animals to Mosi-o-Tunya.
The difference of more than K657,000 is currently a subject of legal dispute between ZAWA and Muchinga Wild Game Capture Services which insists that the wildlife authority breached the contract.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) says it is currently investigating the matter involving the two parties after reports of irregularities in the awarding of the contract.
“I wish to confirm that the Commission is investigating the matter,” ACC public relations manager Timothy Moono said in response to a Press query. “However, I am unable to disclose any further details at the moment.”
Eric Silwamba and Associates, the lawyers representing Muchinga Wild Game Capture Services, have also written to ZAWA demanding the payment of K657,620.
ZAWA public relations officer, Readith Mwila Muliyunda initially promised to follow up the matter but efforts to get her comment later proved futile as she could not pick up her phone.
The authority has been engulfed in scandals in recent times with Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata dissolving its board in April this year barely 12 months after her predecessor Sylvia Masebo appointed it.
The decision to dissolve the board was preceded by a tribunal which was set up to probe Ms Masebo following accusations by former Transport Minister William Harrington that she had violated the Ministerial Code of Conduct.
This was in relation with Ms Masebo’s involvement in the cancellation of tender processes in breach of the Zambia Public Procurement Agency (ZPPA) Act as well as the dismissal of some officials at ZAWA.
The latest Auditor General’s Report on parastatal bodies revealed that ZAWA lost K1.45 million in a contract with Muchinga Wildlife Game Capture Services after the company allegedly failed to complete the job.