BY STAFF REPORTER
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday suspended Zesa board chairman Sydney Gata and ordered the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to immediately probe him on a raft of allegations including alleged criminal abuse of office.
The entire Zesa board was also suspended.
Mnangagwa’s intervention came a few days after Gata ignored his earlier suspension by Energy and Power Development minister Fortune Chasi on similar allegations.
Instead, Gata flexed his muscle and fired the entire Zesa board and locked them out of the power utility’s headquarters.
In a statement last night, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda said Gata was suspended in terms of section 16(1)(a) read together with Section 16(1)(d) of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act.
“His Excellency the President expects Zacc to complete its investigations as well as tabling its report on the findings within four weeks,” part of the statement read.
Gata, who rejoined Zesa in November last year after being retired in 2006, faces a slew of allegations that include abusing the power utility’s five pool vehicles, scuttling the disciplinary hearing of a top executive and splurging $10 million on Christmas parties and unprocedurally sending four consultants to South Africa at Zesa’s expense.
