Zimbabwe tourism minister arrested for suspected corruption

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Tourism Prisca Mupfumira was arrested today by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission over the alleged disappearance of millions of dollars at the country’s pension fund when she was Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister.

She is the first senior government official to be held by the commission which was overhauled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on 15 July.

“We can confirm that the minister of tourism is currently in our custody for questioning and possible due processes,” the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) said in a brief statement. It did not give any details.

According to Zimbabwean laws, a suspect must appear in court within 48 hours after his or her arrest.

Mupfumira, a senior member of the ruling ZANU-PF party, was previously Labour minister who oversaw the $1bn state pension fund. She was fired by former President Robert Mugabe weeks before a military-led coup that toppled him in November 2017.

She was reappointed after Mugabe’s removal and given a new portfolio.

In an audit report in June, several prominent officials were accused of abuse of funds, according to local media a total of $82m. The scandal has been labelled as the “National Social Security Authority Scandal”.

The anti-corruption commission was given the power to arrest suspects, but critics question whether it will be effective.

The opposition cast doubt on Mnangagwa’s decision to appoint High Court Judge Loice Matanda-Moyo as the commission’s chair, alleging a potential conflict of interest because she is married to Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo, the retired army general who announced the coup against Mugabe. – Al Jazeera/Own

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