Former Minister denies graft allegations

Former Zimbabwean Energy Minister Samuel Undenge, who is accused of criminal abuse of office, has reportedly said that he received instruction from President Emmerson Mnangagwa's office, while he was still Vice-President, in awarding a communications company a tender without following due process. New Zimbabwe reports that Undenge was accused of fraud after he awarded Zanu-PF legislator Psychology Maziwisa and former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation news anchor Oscar Pambuka a contract without going to tender. However, he said he acted on the instruction of the Vice-President when he awarded Fruitful Communications the tender, and complied with the directive because the ‘Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) public relations department was not performing well’.

A key ally of Grace Mugabe is set to return to Zimbabwe six months after he fled into exile in the wake of the military takeover. Former Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, who is based in South Africa, said he is prepared as ‘early as this week’ and face possible criminal charges. A report on the News24 site notes that Kasukuwere was among several of Grace Mugabe’s allies, including former Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo and former Labour Minister Patrick Zhuwao, who fled after the 15 November military operation which led to Robert Mugabe’s resignation six days later.