Challenges facing public procurement information in some African countries namely 128 654

South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

Abstract

This article seeks to find out challenges facing the procurement laws in Africa. The article examines the meaning and purpose of public procurement, drawing parallels between its essential elements, and stages with the need and requirement to enhance transparency and accountability to attain its objectives. It also seeks to provide analysis of traditional procurement reform objectives and identifies the importance of transparency and accountability as well as value for money in procurement to their achievement of joint goals. The article then examines broadly the access to information provisions of the procurement laws in a number of African countries namely -South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Tanzania and concludes that these laws contribute to improving access to information across Africa, particularly where an access to information law is absent, but are not robust enough to sufficiently provide comprehensive access to information. It examines the level of constraint posed by administrative charges for access to information. Also the article concludes based on the Tanzanian experience that limited access to information, laws already exist may be more as a result of; limited capacities in both the citizens sector and public sector to capture and maintain information in a retrievable format; deliberate delays by public officers to frustrate applications for access; poor information management practices and half hearted efforts within the citizens sector to apply existing law, than any application of administrative fee or other limiting provisions of the law, WITTING, W.A (2002).