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The Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) claims it undertook 12 investigations into various procurement matters in the third quarter of 2025, concluding eight while four remained ongoing as of September 30, 2025.
ZPPA Director General Gloria Ngoma said this during a media briefing in Lusaka on Monday, held at the Authority’s offices.
Ngoma said ZPPA investigated six tenders awarded to Water Flow Drilling and Exploration Limited following a complaint from Kawambwa Town Council.
She said the contracts involved drilling and constructing solar-powered boreholes at 15 designated sites in Kawambwa District, including primary and secondary schools, health posts, a clinic, the Civic Centre, and district administration offices.
Ngoma revealed that the company failed to complete the projects within the stipulated timeframes.
“Therefore, pursuant to section 96 (g) of the Public Procurement Act, ZPPA suspended Water Flow Drilling and Exploration Limited for underperformance of contractual obligations for a period of one (1) year with effect from July 23, 2025,” she said.
Additionally, ZPPA investigated Thinker Generation Limited over the alleged submission of a fake Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) tax clearance certificate in a tender for the construction of a 1×3 classroom block at New Kasaka Primary School in Mazabuka Central Constituency.
Ngoma said the complaint was lodged by Mazabuka Municipal Council, which discovered that the certificate submitted by Thinker Generation Limited was issued under the name of another company, Busongo Youth Enterprises Limited.
“Further, it was discovered that the compliance certificates from ZRA, the National Pension Scheme Authority, and the Workers Compensation Fund Control Board submitted by Busongo Youth Enterprises Limited in a tender for the construction of a police station in Mazabuka Central Constituency were all issued in the names of other companies,” she said.
ZPPA established that both Busongo Youth Enterprises Limited and Thinker Generation Limited submitted non-genuine compliance documents in their bids.
Ngoma cited section 96 (b) of the Public Procurement Act No. 8 of 2020, as amended by the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act No. 17 of 2023, which provides that:
“A bidder or supplier shall be suspended from participating in procurement where a bidder or supplier has —
(b) provided false information in a bid or any other document submitted to a procuring entity in connection with a procurement process or contract.”
Consequently, ZPPA suspended both companies from participating in public procurement for one year with effect from August 8, 2025.
Ngoma further disclosed that ZPPA handled 26 appeals from aggrieved bidders during the quarter, concluding 22, while four remained ongoing as of September 30, 2025.
Among the notable cases was a tender by Masaiti Town Council for the construction of Nkulumashiba Culvert Bridge in Masaiti Constituency, where a bidder appealed against the council’s decision to disqualify its bid.
Ngoma said ZPPA found several irregularities, including inconsistencies in the solicitation document regarding National Council for Construction (NCC) requirements.
“Due to the irregularities and pursuant to regulation 249 (2) (a) and (d) of the Public Procurement Regulations, 2022, ZPPA directed Masaiti Town Council to terminate the tender proceedings and re-advertise the tender,” she said.
Another appeal involved Evelyn Hone College, where a bidder challenged the evaluation process in a tender for the provision of physical security services on a one-year running contract.
Ngoma said the bidder alleged that the college introduced a criterion during evaluation that was not in the solicitation document — namely, that a bidder’s past performance with the college had to be satisfactory.
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“ZPPA upheld the appeal because it was established that the Evaluation Committee did not apply the post-qualification criteria as provided in the solicitation document, contrary to section 60 (5) of the Public Procurement Act,” she said.
ZPPA directed Evelyn Hone College to re-evaluate the tender in line with the solicitation document, the Act, and relevant regulations.
Ngoma also disclosed that the Authority conducted compliance and capacity assessments in 11 procuring entities during the quarter. Out of these, one was fully compliant, seven were substantially compliant, and three were non-compliant.
“ZPPA directed the non-compliant procuring entities to adhere to compliance requirements pursuant to the Public Procurement Act and Regulations, failure to which sanctions would be applied in accordance with section 105 of the Act,” Ngoma said.
She further revealed that during the same period, 573 procuring entities published a total of 23,710 tenders on the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system.
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