PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has appointed Industry and Commence
Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu as Acting Minister of Environment, Tourism
and Hospitality Industry while substantive minister Prisca Mupfumira battles
her corruption allegations in court.
Minister Mupfumira is facing a slew of criminal abuse of
public office charges involving $95 million.
Last Saturday, the State invoked Section 32 of the Criminal
Procedure and Evidence Act, which allows it to seek the further detention of a
suspect up to 21 days to conduct further investigations.
This has seen President Mnangagwa moving in to appoint
Minister Ndlovu as Acting Minister to allow the ministry to operate unhindered.
In a statement yesterday, Chief Secretary to the President
and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda said: “The Chief Secretary to the President and
Cabinet has announced that His Excellency the President Cde ED Mnangagwa has
appointed Minister N. Ndlovu as the Acting Minister of Environment, Tourism and
Hospitality Industry pending finalisation of court processes involving the
substantive minister Honourable Mupfumira.”
Minister Mupfumira was arrested last Thursday by the
reconfigured Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on allegations of
corruption involving $95 million of National Social Security Authority (NSSA)
funds.
Chief prosecutor Mr Michael Reza presented a certificate
from the Prosecutor-General’s Office to detain Mupfumira for three weeks on the
basis that she could use her position as minister to interfere with
investigations.
Analysts say the move by President Mnangagwa to appoint a
caretaker minister to manage Minister Mupfumira’s portfolio will also allow the
ministry, which is seen as a low-hanging fruit, to help in the country’s
economic turnaround.
The country’s short-term economic blueprint, the
Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), which runs from October 2018 to
December next year, targets support for “aggressive marketing and rebranding of
Zimbabwe”, to facilitate tourist arrivals taking advantage the country’s
diverse tourist attractions.
“This will hinge on provision of innovative incentive
packages, and the relaxation of all restrictive visa requirements, among others
measures,” reads the TSP.
The TSP also seeks to review tourism operators’ licensing
requirements with a view to improve entry into the industry and competitiveness
of tourism products.
Minister Mupfumira was arrested on return from the United
Kingdom where she had travelled, together with senior Zimbabwe Tourism
Authority (ZTA) officials, to market the country as a safe tourist destination.
Herald
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