By Shongedzai Mugwagwa

Government has awarded the multi-million dollar 100MW Munyati re-powering project teendeer to a Chinese group of companies, China Gezhouba Group Company (CGCC).

The resolution was made during a Cabinet meeting which was held on Wednesday after an Indian Company, Jaguars Overseas which had initially won the tender had failed to secure funding for the project. CGCC had come second.

Sources privy to the development told the Harare Post that CGCC wrote to the Ministry of Energy and Power Development expressing their interest in the project they had initially failed to win.

Cabinet resolved that the project be awarded to second winner and that the project be completed in 18 months.

“Cabinet yesterday gave the Ministry a task to assess the readiness of the company and be apprised of their proof of funding.

“I think you know why Government is now strict on proof of funding. The initial winners had the project in limbo for four years because they had no funding at all,” said a source who asked for anonymity.

CGCC has already been advised of the cabinet resolution and the conditions put forward that the project be completed in 18 months.

An inside source from CGCC country representative confided in this publication that a high powered delegation from CGCC headquarters is expected in Zimbabwe next week to show their commitment to the project.

Meanwhile, the Harare Post can exclusively report that given the failure by CGCC to provide proof of funding for the multi-million dollar project, a United Arab Emirates company has expressed interest in the project in which they presented a proposal to Government that they would want to do the project on Built Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.

Cabinet decided to give CGCC a chance since it had gone through the tender process.