Harare, July 7 — Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has eventually expelled the country’s Health Minister Obadiah Moyo after he was implicated in a 60 million USD corruption scandal related to COVID-19 material bought for government.
The arrest follows mounting pressure on Mr. Mnangagwa to quit by members of opposition political parties and civil society organizations who have set July 31 for crippling protests calling for the Zimbabwean leader to step down.
Calls have also been growing for Minister Moyo to be fired. He was arrested last month after he was implicated in a Coronavirus equipment procurement scandal which has since been termed Covidgate.
The disgraced Zimbabwean Minister’s alleged corrupt dealings were linked to Drax International LLC and Drax Consult SAGL, companies Zimbabwean prosecutors claimed were illegally awarded contracts by the country’s health ministry without a competitive tender process.
As Minister Moyo faced the boot, Delish Nguwaya, a local representative of Drax International, who had also been arrested as part of investigation into the Health Minister’s case, was on the same day granted bail of 50,000 Zimbabwean dollars by a Harare High Court Judge.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, Collins, is said to be closely linked to Drax International which has grabbed tenders to supply other COVID-19 material to the country’s Ministry of Health, but no moves have been made as yet to bring the President’s son to book.
Meanwhile, the now former Health Minister here was alerted of his expulsion from his ministerial post by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda in a letter.
“Please be advised that His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde ED Mnangagwa, has in terms of section 340, subsection (i), paragraph (f), as read with section 104, subsection (i) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe removed you, Obadiah Moyo from the office of Cabinet Minister and Minister of Government with immediate effect for conduct inappropriate for a Government minister,” said Sibanda in the letter to Moyo.
He (Moyo) becomes Zimbabwe’s third government Minister so far expelled from government during Mr. Mnangagwa’s reign, this after former Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira and also former Deputy Information Minister, Energy Mutodi.
But opposition political supporters doubt Mr. Mnangagwa’s sincerity after he dismissed his Health Minister.
“He (Mnangagwa) will only be taken seriously if his son also involved in the COVID-19 scandal is arrested,” said Gilbert Mugari, an opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance backer in Harare.