The Zambian government has been forced to cancel a $210 million closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras contract with China’s ZTE over corruption allegations.

The contract was awarded earlier this year under a direct agreement, without an open tender procedure, raising suspicions of corruption.

Fears also existed that the cost of the project may have been inflated.

Under pressure, Zambia’s minister of home affairs Edgar Lungu has announced that the contract has now been cancelled.

The minister has said the tender has been cancelled amid accusations of corruption in the manner in which the contract was awarded. He added that security agencies have also been informed of the cancellation.

The CCTV cameras project is a ministry of home affairs initiative planned to assist with crime prevention, traffic management and general monitoring on the streets of the capital Lusaka.

“In cancelling the contract, I have also communicated to the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Auditor General and the ministry of Justice to scrutinise the contract following the allegations of single-sourcing of a contractor,” Lungu said.

Lungu also said the contract termination follows mounting allegations of non-compliance to standard regulations in the manner it was awarded.

The cameras on the streets were intended to become effective once the country’s Roads and Safety Agency (RATSA) has put in place a solid database to identify the owners of vehicles.

Under the surveillance system, drivers’ licences are also expected to be linked to their bank accounts so that those who commit offences are planned to have money debited from them electronically.