PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly cracked the
whip on top ally and State residences principal director Douglas Tapfuma, who
has been implicated in alleged corrupt deals, including the disappearance of
$6,4 million at Hwange Colliery.
Tapfuma, who replaced, Dzapasi Tizora, a top ally of former
President Robert Mugabe in January this year, has now been relegated to a less
influential post of principal director (PD), monitoring and evaluation in the
Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).
Coxwell Chigwana is the new principal director of the State
House, according to tweet by the Information ministry late Tuesday evening.
“We have noted a number of media inquiries regarding the
position of principal director at the State House Residence. PD Douglas Tapfuma
has been reassigned as PD monitoring and evaluation in the OPC. Coxwell
Chigwana takes over as PD at the State Residence,” the ministry said.
The tweet came after NewsDay tried in vain to secure a
comment from the same ministry during the day, with secretary Ndavaningi
Mangwana professing ignorance of the shake-up.
Well-placed sources said Tapfuma was facing several
allegations, including abusing Mnangagwa’s name and using letters from the
President’s Office to facilitate the importation of vehicles for friends and
relatives duty-free.
The same letters were also allegedly being used to evade
paying Zimbabwe National Road Administration toll gate fees.
According to the sources, the reassignment, instigated by
Mnangagwa, has been done to pave way for investigations into Tapfuma’s alleged
misconduct.
The Zanu PF leader was reportedly irked after his name was
dragged into the Hwange Colliery saga where $6,4 million meant for exploration
could not be accounted for.
“He (Mnangagwa) had received many complaints about Tapfuma
before, but the Hwange issue was the last straw,” a well-placed source said.
Last week, the Zanu PF Midlands central committee member
was implicated in the Hwange Colliery scandal where the company’s board members
claimed he was working with one Shephard Tundiya to call shots at the Zimbabwe
Stock Exchange-listed company.
Mnangagwa and Mines minister Winston Chitando’s names were
also dragged into the scandal after Tundiya reportedly summoned the Hwange
Colliery board members to State House where they were met by Tapfuma, who
claimed he was representing the President.
The board members and senior managers claimed they were
abducted in mafia-style by Tundiya, who claimed he was well-connected to
Mnangagwa.
They also claimed they were summoned to State House to see
Mnangagwa, but only met Tapfuma in the company of Tundiya, who ordered the
reinstatement of fired managers.
Tapfuma is also accused of abusing his office to prejudice
the State.
“He is accused of abusing State machinery and apparatus by
giving friends and relatives letters from the President’s Office for them to be
exempted from paying duty,” an official said.
“Apart from that, he is also being investigated for
nepotism after he facilitated the employment of his relatives in various
government departments.”
Tapfuma, a former Zanu PF provincial administrator, was
promoted to principal director in Mnangagwa’s office when the latter was still
Vice-President in 2014. He was roped in as principal director based at State
House in January.
Sources claimed Tapfuma used the letters from the
President’s Office to assist a fellow Zanu PF official from Midlands to import
Toyota Quantum commuter omnibuses without paying duty. He is also alleged to
have imported some farm and industrial equipment from South Africa without
paying duty. Newsday
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