Opposition leader and former Energy Minister Elton Mangoma has been dragged into the Wicknell Chivayo saga with board members of the Zimbabwe Power Company telling a Parliamentary committee that Mangoma and his successor Samuel Undenge piled pressure on the company to pay Chivayo without due diligence or a bank guarantee.
Chivayo, a former convict, is reported to have been awarded a tender through his company Intratek to put up a 100MW solar power project in Gwanda.
He was allegedly paid an advance of $5.6 million.
Mangoma who is now leader of the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe and the Coalition of Democrats was Energy Minister during the inclusive government when he was still a member of the Movement for Democratic Change.
According to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, ZPC board members, who attended the Parliamentary committee hearing, said there was undue political influence by former ministers Mangoma and Undenge who instructed the suspended ZPC Managing Director to pay Chivayo money amounting to US$5.6 million without due diligence and without a bank guarantee.
ZPC Board Member Finance Thandiwe Mlobane said they had raised a red flag over the payments to Chivayo but were told there was political pressure at play.
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