HARARE – The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development found itself in damage control mode on Wednesday after it issued a public retraction of a misleading Twitter post that incorrectly suggested contractors were already on-site for the Victoria Falls project.
By Tina Musonza | Harare
In a statement dated 29 April 2025, the Ministry admitted to disseminating false information at 0918 hours on the same day, referencing a story published by The Herald Online on 28 April 2025 headlined: “Victoria Falls contractors on site.” The Ministry has since clarified that “no contractor is on site, as the tender process is still ongoing.”
The now-deleted tweet sparked confusion among stakeholders and the public, prompting swift backlash that forced the Ministry to issue an apology.
“The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development wishes to unreservedly apologise to members of the public and all its stakeholders for posting a Twitter message containing wrong information,” read the statement signed by Eng. P.J. Makumbe, the Permanent Secretary.
The Ministry attributed the error to a breach of its internal Standard Operating Procedures by one of its social media officers. The officer in question reportedly failed to verify the facts with officials from the Department of Roads before publishing the tweet.
“One of the officers assigned the duty to manage the Ministry’s Twitter handle conceded and acknowledged that she breached the internal Standard Operating Procedures of information verification,” the statement noted.
To clarify the status of the Victoria Falls project, the Ministry outlined that the tender process was still in progress. According to the statement:
“The tender which was issued on 17 April 2025 closed on 29 April 2025 at 1100 Hours. After the closure of the bidding period, an evaluation committee will sit, whereupon the outcome will be sent to the Special Procurement Oversight Committee for oversight of the tender process before awarding the same to successful bidders.”
The blunder has raised fresh concerns about the reliability of official government communications and the oversight mechanisms in place for managing public information. Analysts say the Ministry’s swift admission, while commendable, highlights deeper issues of internal controls and communication professionalism within public institutions.
As public scrutiny intensifies, the Ministry says it remains committed to transparency and accurate reporting.
“The Ministry remains committed to the need for sharing correct information to members of the public,” the statement concluded.
The incident underscores the risks of unverified social media updates in government communication and the importance of strict adherence to factual accuracy, particularly in matters involving public procurement and national infrastructure.
