via Corruption: Ministers face arrest – DailyNews Live by Roadwin Chirara 17 FEBRUARY 2014
The on-going government probe into corrupt activities in State enterprises could claim the scalp of some high ranking ministers as new looting details emerge.
This comes as the Daily News on Sunday has established that inquiries into parastatals’ operations had been widened to include current and former ministers, whose footprints were prominently visible in shady deals that are currently subject to investigations.
Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is said to lead a faction angling to replace President Robert Mugabe, has already fired warning shots, after declaring in Parliament last week that all individuals implicated in the scandals would be brought to book.
The Zanu PF politburo held on Friday also said those caught with their hands in the till will be arrested.
Sources said ministers benefitted especially in procurement where they either received kickbacks or connived with CEOs to inflate invoices.
Investigations, which are centred on the goings-on at Air Zimbabwe, Zinara, CMED, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), ZBC and Marange Resources among other State enterprises, have seen company executives
being fingered in the fleecing of their organisations through hefty salaries and improper procurement procedures.
It has emerged that ministers that presided over these entities will be probed, amid reports they face allegations of dereliction of duty and criminal abuse of office, according to top government
officials.
Some of the ministers personally benefited from the sweetheart perks that were extended to top management at the parastatals.
At the public broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), top managers were splashing $800 000 in salaries per month, while the organisation faced various operational challenges.
ZBC chief executive, Happison Muchechetere was found to have been drawing a monthly salary of $40 000 per month while workers went for more than six months without pay, bringing his total earning to date since 2009 at $2,28 million.
His salary included $3 000 as entertainment allowance, a $2 500 allowance to pay his domestic workers, $3 500 for housing allowance and $3 000 as a general allowance.
Executives at struggling national carrier, Air Zimbabwe, have already been arraigned before the courts after being arrested on fraud charges relating to procurement, maintenance of aircraft and insurance which could have prejudiced it of $1 298 827, 88 and 5 895 695, 90 euros.
Chief executive Innocent Mavhunga, Celebration Church and former airline chief executive Peter Chikumba and company secretary Grace Nyaradzo Pfumbidzayi have been remanded in custody, pending their bail application on Monday.
The rot at Air Zimbabwe has also sucked in Navistar Insurance Brokers and national road agency, Zinara which made questionable payments on the airline’s behalf according to a forensic audit report.
Zinara chief executive, Frank Chitukutuku is currently subject to a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission investigation over the controversial awarding of a $2 million road rehabilitation tender in Umguza, Matabeleland North province.
The works were awarded to Notify Enterprises, a shelf company owned by Twaumba Holdings owner Nkululeko Sibanda.
According to the Zacc, the tenders were advertised after the contract had already been corruptly awarded to Notify without going to tender.
Medical services provider, Premier Service Medical Aid Society, which services most civil servants, is currently rocked by a crisis after it emerged its top management were gobbling at least $1 million in basic monthly salaries at a time it was reeling under a $38 million debt.
The situation resulted in Psmas chief executive Cuthbert Dube being relieved of his duties following an outrage over his $230 000 monthly salary.
Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco ) has also had to part ways with its chief executive, Brian Chawasarira after he had been suspended from work pending an investigation into allegations of mismanagement.
Zupco has been struggling to pay its workers, including retrenchment packages for 300 employees it shed in 2011 and has debts to various suppliers including Pioneer Motor Company, which in May attached a Highlands property seeking to recover over $763 000 owed.
The State-owned bus company owes more than $1,7 million in salary arrears and continues to face viability challenges despite having acquired 304 buses over the past three years.
The Rural Electrification Agency, a unit of Zesa Holdings, has also been engulfed in a scandal where its board members and senior management extended themselves loans amounting to $4 million.
Of the funds, $2,5 million was extended to influential persons while nearly $1,5 million was shared among board members, managers and other staff, which they used to build houses at a time the company was failing to carry out its mandate of electrifying rural areas.
However, Vice President Joice Mujuru’s castigation of the media’s role in the exposure of the corrupt activities by government officials, has put a dent on the sincerity of the Zanu PF government to dealing with the cancerous problem.
COMMENTS
We will see where the cards fall. I would be more at ease if this process would seek for those that have accumulated wealth to account for how the wealth was accumulated. The public would also like to know how much tax these people paid as tax evasion is a crime in itself. They could even go back to the last ten years. They would need independent auditors to carry out this recovery and revelation of wealth. We all watch and see if the powers that be will handle this using one of the most corrupt Police forces Africa has ever seen and how they will fair.
I agree with Docter Do Little that these people should be investigated by ZIMRA for evasion of paying income tax. At the moment we are waiting for the respective ministry to carry out probes or audits e.g. Health to take another 2 weeks to put a probe team in place. In the meantime the police wait for the probe team to complete their findings & only then will they start investigation. Then & only then will the Prosecutor General’s office take any action. All of these entities will drag out the process so let’s not get too excited – it could take months. If ZIMRA did their job now we should have an answer within weeks.I understand that ZIMRA have even more authority than the ZRP to investigate anyone in Zimbabwe, so just what are they waiting for.
Let us assume that they use junior members of the police force to investigate since most of them are also under paid with no access to looting,therefore they are likely to do a proper investigation.
A recent case in BYO with a policeman suing the police for unfair treatment after he testified against his colleagues in a shooting case so the police department losing the case and ordered to pay damages to the policeman.
I am sure we have many junior officers who are mad against their senseless bosses who are corrupt and involved in looting.Let us hope for the best in these on going investigations.I know for sure that those involved in looting are having sleepless nights and its affecting their families heavily.They had their time its now the time for the masses to speak out loudly.
Mixed Race I hear you man and I hope this can happen. This Country has a long road to go to be normal. I like the fact that you are not an all gloom and doom character. Some of us do need to hope for the positives to come out of this. As I have said in my other contribution, the Ministry of home affairs should follow suit and clean out it’s house.
Totenda yavira shambakodzi yedemhe!
I have known this Zanu mafia since 1980. I will eat my shirt if ministers are Jailed. They might sacrifice one like they did with Kurineri, very small fish. The real Zanu gang of Mnangagwa, Mujuru, Mpofu, Sekeramai, Mugabe, Shamu, Mtasa will not be touched . These are the king pins of corruption. Not forgetting the Junta.
kwaaniko imiwee! bright matonga looted at zupco and was elevated to a deputy minister. no one will be brought to book here! usanyepe emma. newewo uri mbavha.
The whole of ZPF should resign. This country is a disgrace! I see more judgment coming! Are there any decent politicians in Zimbabwe? I could name one or two but they are not in power.
This rot starts at the very top they are all in it together.
Arresting MINISTERS of which Government and COUNTRY? Joking is very much allowed in this country but to a certain extent.
1) We want NIEB investigated on how money was used in the community ownership trusts.
2)We want to know how ZPS and ZRP farms are being managed in the provinces and districts.
3) We want to know how money paid by us the suffering parents are being used in Universities and schools. Are our children going to trips as prescribed. Are laboratories being built. Are books being bought from the levies we pay.
4) Are salaries the only scandals in Councils? What about their procurement processes.
5) Whats happening at VID? Why is it that most people part with $150-$200 to then pass? Why are VID officers finishing building their houses in 3 months??
6) How are medicines being bought in Hospitals? Why are we refered to private clinics belonging to government doctors??
7) Why are permenant secretaries like Charamba benefitting from positions they should provide a monitoring role? Why did we hear of what he earned in 2013 only at PSMAS? We want to hear of other years. Why hasnt he paid back?
8) Did Jonathan Moyo payback the Ford Foundation money?
9) Why are most cabinet members multiple farm owners?
The media should not lie that they are doing investigative journalism when they only go for easy stories. I am tired of it.
lol hatisati tamama .regai muone kuti zvichafamba sei
Even if you were put in the same position as DUBE you would also steal as these other idiots are doing .
Shame the poor west they are going to be blamed for the looting and fall of all parastatles