Faith Ndou
MASVINGO-Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) has urged women to report red flags in the provision of maternal health care noting that corruption is prevalent particularly during childbirth related services and procurement processes.
TIZ said the situation negatively affects maternal health outcomes in the country.
The call was made by TIZ Programs Officer Eustinah Tarisayi during a procurement training workshop held recently at Charles Austin Theatre Hall.
The training brought together residents, community based organisations and civil society organisations as part of efforts to strengthen procurement integrity in Zimbabwe.
TIZ is currently implementing a project aimed at strengthening procurement integrity with a specific focus on the maternal health sector.
“We are training citizens to provide an additional oversight layer in monitoring procurement processes at national, provincial and district levels so that they are able to identify red flags in procurement and take appropriate action,” said Tarisayi.
She highlighted that the project specifically targets maternal health care in Zimbabwe, following findings from a corruption risk assessment conducted by TIZ in 2025.
“When we carried out our corruption risk assessment, we identified procurement as the area most affected by corruption. That is why we are capacitating citizens and health related organisations to monitor procurement processes. For citizens, the role is mainly to observe and report when corruption occurs,” she said.
Kumbirai Mahaso, Programmes Manager at Batanai HIV and AIDS Service Organisation (BHASO) welcomed the initiative, saying the capacity building workshop had equipped communities with skills to use the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system.
“This training helps us identify challenges, gaps and corruption issues, and enables communities to speak out. It empowers communities to advocate for better services which ultimately contribute to the reduction of maternal mortality in our province,” Mahaso said.
Participants were also encouraged to utilise the e-GP online procurement system to track procurement processes across government ministries. Companies were urged to use the system when procuring items such as vehicles as it is monitored by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ).
