A PROPOSAL by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to import vehicles and equipment from Belarus worth US$7,5 million has divided Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, according to official documents released this week.
The disagreement arose after BCC requested government approval to deploy its ZiG176,4 million (US$6,7 million) 2025 devolution funds towards the huge capital expenditure outlay. However, some city councillors are advocating for sourcing the equipment locally or regionally, arguing that cost differences are minimal.
Bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and Belarus have strengthened in recent years. In 2024, the two nations held a Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation meeting to reinforce their diplomatic and economic ties.
“The department of works formally requested authority for the procurement of critical plant and equipment from Belarus using the city’s allocation of the 2025 devolution funds, leveraging on the existing Zimbabwe — Belarus government to government memorandum of understanding for trade and economic co-operation,” minutes of the meeting read in part.
“The city’s 2025 devolution allocation amounted to ZiG176 353 600. Utilising the devolution funds for the procurement would not only ensure that council adhered to budgetary allocations but also facilitate a more efficient and streamlined process leveraging the existing agreement with the Belarusian government. It was believed that these pieces of equipment would benefit all wards, city wide.”
However, some councillors opposed the proposal, suggesting that similar vehicles and equipment could be sourced from neighbouring countries such as South Africa or even locally at potentially lower prices.
BCC obtained an invoice amounting to US$7,5 million from AFTRADE DMCC, a Belarusian private sector agency, dated December 23, 2024, for the procurement of the equipment. Despite this, concerns were raised about both cost and suitability.
Councillor Ntando Ndlovu questioned whether the vehicles from Belarus would be suitable for Bulawayo’s terrain. He also noted that AFTRADE DMCC is domiciled in Dubai, prompting further inquiries about its role in the transaction.
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“He enquired on the strategies that would be implored by council to ensure that council employees would be well trained on how to operate the vehicles/ machinery,” the report reads.
Councillor Melisa Mabeza also voiced concerns over the pricing, arguing that purchasing from Belarus could be more expensive.
She called for at least three alternative quotations from other Belarusian suppliers to be presented to the committee for comparison.
“The committee would aggregate the prices and select the most affordable supplier,” the report stated.
