Undenge acquitted

Former Energy Minister Samuel Undenge was today acquitted on the criminal of abuse of office charges in which he was accused of using undue influence to force the Zimbabwe Power Company to award a $172 million tender to Wicknell Chivayo and his company in 2015.

The collapse of the case shows that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has a long way to prove that his administration is really out to fight corruption as it appears his anti-corruption officers are making arbitrary arrests before they have concrete evidence.

Mnangagwa has been accused of targeting his political opponents and not the real corrupt people.

ZPC was alleged to have released $5.6 million to Chivayo’s Intratek bank account before the project had taken off.

Undenge was convicted of a minor corruption offence involved just over $12 000 but is appealing against the four-year sentence.

Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe said two months ago that 36 corruption cases had been brought before the courts but only two had been finalised.

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