Story by Theophilus Chuma
VICE President General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga says Southern Africa has significant potential to unlock economic value through enhanced cooperation and integration in public procurement systems.
He made the remarks during the launch of the inaugural Southern Africa Public Procurement Forum (SAPPF) in Harare this Wednesday.
Public procurement accounts for a substantial share of government expenditure across Africa, with estimates indicating that it represents about 17 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of many African countries.
Regional integration and collaboration in procurement processes are increasingly being recognised as critical tools for advancing inclusive development, improving governance and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Officially launching the forum, Vice President Chiwenga, highlighted the strategic role of public procurement in driving economic transformation and shaping the broader socio-economic landscape.
“The theme of the forum, Transforming Public Procurement for Sustainable Growth and Regional Integration in Southern Africa, reflects our collective determination to strengthen governance systems, improve service delivery, stimulate economic growth and deepen regional cooperation.
“We meet at a time when governments across the world are under increasing pressure to deliver more with fewer resources while ensuring value for money. Citizens rightly expect efficient public services, modern infrastructure, quality healthcare, accessible education and economic opportunities that improve livelihoods. The effectiveness with which governments respond to these expectations depends significantly on the strength of their public procurement systems.
“Public procurement is not merely an administrative function of government. It is one of the most strategic instruments available to the State for advancing national development, stimulating economic transformation and delivering public value,” he said.
The Vice President noted that procurement systems must evolve beyond national boundaries to facilitate regional integration under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“As we advance regional integration, procurement systems must facilitate cross-border trade, support regional infrastructure development and attract investment. Our economies are increasingly interconnected, and our development challenges are increasingly shared. Our solutions must therefore become increasingly collaborative.
“The establishment of the Southern African Public Procurement Forum recognises that strong procurement systems do not belong to one nation alone. They are a shared regional asset and responsibility,” he said.
The forum is expected to promote harmonisation of procurement laws, strengthen professional standards and enhance transparency through the adoption of modern technologies.
Vice President Chiwenga urged member states to commit to harmonising procurement legislation, recognising professional qualifications across borders, developing shared electronic procurement standards and strengthening peer-review mechanisms to combat procurement-related fraud.
“Member states should commit to harmonising procurement laws to facilitate cross-border infrastructure development and trade, recognise professional certifications, develop interoperable electronic government procurement systems and strengthen collaboration with development partners, academia and the private sector to promote innovation and procurement excellence,” he said.
Zimbabwe has already implemented several procurement reforms aimed at improving efficiency and accountability.
Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Clever Ruswa, said the country’s electronic government procurement system, launched in October 2023, continues to record positive results.
“Our electronic government procurement platform was launched in October 2023 and piloted in January 2024 across 372 procuring entities. We are already seeing improvements and will continue expanding the system in line with National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
“We are also developing an online repository for procurement legislation, regulations, circulars, guidelines, publications and review panel decisions to improve access to procurement information,” he said.
International partners have described the establishment of the Southern Africa Public Procurement Forum as a significant milestone that supports the broader objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe continues to invest in strengthening procurement systems, including the construction of a new PRAZ headquarters in Harare.
Vice President Chiwenga toured the facility to assess progress on the project.
Zimbabwe has also adopted the Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems (MAPS), a framework aligned with NDS2 and aimed at expanding e-procurement integration to improve transparency and combat corruption.
