Dennis Magaya to be fired in few days time, says Mavhaire

via Magaya to be fired in few days time, says Mavhaire | SW Radio Africa  by Mthulisi Mathuthu on Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Dennis Magaya, whom information minister Jonathan Moyo appointed head of the ZBC board and then fired within 24 hours, will be removed from his post as chief technology strategist for a major parastatal.

The Herald reported Tuesday that Energy Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire said Magaya’s ‘honeymoon’ at PowerTel Communications was over and he would be fired ‘in a day or two.’

According to the Herald Mavhaire accused Zesa Holdings CEO, Josh Chifamba, and the PowerTel board, of conniving to hire Magaya irregularly. Mavhaire said PowerTel, a subsidiary of Zesa Holdings, appointed Magaya and six other people in defiance of the State Procurement Board.

This follows revelations that Magaya is facing allegations of inflated consultancy fees at PowerTel. It is alleged that Magaya was controversially appointed as a strategy consultant at PowerTel. He is earning a monthly salary of $44, 000, almost the same amount as the suspended ZBC CEO, Happison Muchechetere. Newspaper reports said Magaya’s earnings, which include a bonus of $18,000, amount to $500,000 per annum.

Mavhaire said Magaya and his team were not bringing ‘any value’ to the company. Instead they ‘strategized’ to cheat the parastatal, said Mavhaire. The minister further said that had Magaya and his crew continued for a few more months they would have brought the company ‘to its knees.’

Magaya’s case came into the spotlight after Moyo appointed him chairman of the ZBC board two weeks ago. In a climb down Moyo fired Magaya within 24 hours, upon learning of the allegations against him. Something Moyo should have known ahead of appointing him.
Magaya is one of the executives who have been exposed by the continuing revelations on corporate corruption, which many see as a red-herring from the economic problems the Zanu PF government faces.