Government Grants Prevail Exclusive Rights for River Rehabilitation in Mazowe

Zimbabwe government grants Prevail exclusive rights to a river rehabilitation pilot in Mazowe (image source)

HARARE — The Government has granted Prevail Group of Companies, owned by businessman Paul Tungwarara, exclusive rights to carry out river rehabilitation works on the Muroodzi River in Mazowe, effectively suspending other river rehabilitation activities across the country, documents seen by Southerton Business Times show.

A Cabinet directive circulated to provincial ministers authorises Prevail to implement the Muroodzi project as a prototype while the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife develops national guidelines. The directive further instructs that no other company be awarded river rehabilitation contracts pending the gazetting of a Statutory Instrument to operationalise the Polluter Pays Principle.

According to the directive, all alluvial mining and river ecosystem rehabilitation programmes are suspended until further notice, with Prevail designated as the sole firm cleared to work on the Muroodzi prototype. Provincial ministers were explicitly told not to award any river rehabilitation contracts outside the approved pilot until further guidance is issued.

The move has raised concern among environmental services firms and market analysts, who argue that the directive effectively excludes competitors and risks creating a de facto monopoly in a sector that has attracted growing private interest. “This is a de facto monopoly,” an executive at an environmental services firm said. “If government wants a pilot project, it should be competitively procured and independently evaluated.”

(image source)

Prevail’s expanding footprint in state-funded projects has already drawn scrutiny. The company has been associated with high-profile contracts including refurbishment works at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, the Presidential Borehole Scheme, the Mt Hampden Cyber City development, and construction projects at State House and Zimbabwe House. In September 2025, a parliamentary portfolio committee accused Prevail International of underperformance after inspections in Chivi District found several village business units and boreholes incomplete or non-functional.

Former Finance minister Tendai Biti criticised the river rehabilitation directive for what he described as a lack of transparency and parliamentary oversight. “Parliament must stand up to such issues. Civil society and citizens must also speak out,” Biti said, warning that opaque procurement processes undermine public confidence and service delivery.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of repeated warnings by acting President Constantino Chiwenga about economic capture by a small, politically connected elite. Chiwenga has publicly called for clean governance, accountability and the protection of public resources from abuse.

Government officials maintain that the forthcoming Polluter Pays Principle framework will compel miners responsible for environmental degradation to fund rehabilitation efforts. Analysts caution, however, that the credibility of any such programme will depend on transparency, competitive procurement and demonstrable environmental outcomes, rather than exclusive mandates granted to a single firm.

Questions sent to Paul Tungwarara, Mines and Mining Development minister Polite Kambamura, permanent secretary Pfwungwa Kunaka and Environment minister Evelyn Ndhlovu had not been answered at the time of publication. Observers say the next critical steps should include a clear timeline for the statutory framework, publication of procurement criteria for the prototype project, and independent monitoring to ensure the pilot delivers measurable environmental benefits without entrenching single-firm dominance.