Source: Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-Southern Africa)
Revelations of corruption and fraud among other criminal activities allegedly committed by Prof. Jonathan Moyo, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education and his subordinates are shocking and contemptuous to say the least. Equally shocking are attempts by the Presidentium to block the investigations and intimidate all those investigating Prof. Jonathan Moyo.
Mr. Munyaradzi Chaumba, the Regional Coordinator of the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa deplored President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko for allegedly interfering with the investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. “In Zimbabwe corruption is spreading like wild fire and this is primarily due the type of behaviour which we are seeing from the top leadership of the government and party. Why are they shielding corrupt people? This protection of corrupt senior government officials from investigations and prosecution has entrenched corruption and should stop. ZACC should be allowed to carry out its constitutional mandate without fear or favour.” he says.
Mr. Chaumba further stated that the appointment of Prof. Jonathan Moyo was a bad decision in the first since his name has been mentioned in other scandals in Kenya and South Africa. “Furthermore, the decision to appoint Jonathan Moyo into ministerial positions he held before was in very bad faith. In 1988 and in Kenya, Jonathan Moyo faced charges of allegedly misappropriating funds of an NGO called Series for Alternative Research in East Africa (SAREAT) which was funded by the Ford Foundation. Again, he faced another charge from Wits University of allegedly absconding with part of a R100 million-research grant. Against all these allegations, he got appointed into government leadership positions and setting a very bad example of good governance. We all knew that he was going to strike again, just like what he has done through allegedly looting ZIMDEF funds. It is highly risky for the President to continue appointing corrupt individuals. As an organisation, we have carried out a mapping of corrupt leaders and I am sorry to say that Zimbabwe is being led by a majority of corrupt leaders and hence the increasing number of corruption scandals.” he lamented.
Recommendations
Threats against the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) should be stopped. Instead, ZACC should be given a lot of support by the Executive to enable it to execute its mandate. Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko should be stopped in his attacks targeted at ZACC. In other democracies, he should be at the fore-front in fighting corruption to set good, accountable, transparent and responsive leadership. The work of ZACC and other independent commissions should not be interfered with and hijacked for political expediency.
Background Information
The Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa carried out a mapping exercise of senior leaders in Southern Africa and the following extract has been recorded as part of Professor Jonathan Moyo’s profile. Most of the leaders in Zimbabwe have been implicated in some scandals, which give a bad impression to the world.
Jonathan Moyo faced charges of allegedly misappropriating funds of an NGO called Series for Alternative Research in East Africa (SAREAT) in 1998 which was funded by the Ford Foundation. The case involved Mutahi Nyunyi a Kenyan Political Scientist.
Moyo also faced another charge from Wits University of allegedly absconding with part of a R100 million-research grant. Moyo had received money for a research project, “The Future of the African Elite”, as a visiting lecturer at the university in 1998. It was allegedly never completed. It is alleged that when he was quizzed about the issue he chose to resign. The case is unresolved.
The name appeared in a 2004 list of 30 that was compiled by the ZRP of individuals who could have been involved in illegal foreign currency dealings. It is further alleged that the Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri moved to stop the investigations in all 30 cases. But eventually the list disappeared in what can be described as a “compromise” by the heavyweights, leaving a few individuals, such as businessman James Makamba and Finance Minister Chris Kuruneri sacrificed.
The allegations are that Jonathan Moyo is accused corrupt and fraudulent transactions involving the Ministry of Higher Education Ministry, Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF), and two companies, namely Fuzzy Technologies (Pvt) Ltd and Wisebone Trading. It is alleged that Moyo personally benefitted from the fraud. The following are the allegations made:
- US$95 800 syphoned out from Zimdef under pretext of purchasing of 10×3 dimension printers.
- US$19 030 is deposited into Ace Cycles account to purchase 173 gents bicycles. US$7 260 deposited to purchase additional 62 gents and four ladies bicycles. The bicycles were allegedly handed over to Moyo to distribute in Tsholotsho.
- US$24 000 applied for by Gandawa as a loan on behalf of Moyo.
Jonathan Moyo’s Personal assistant allegedly fraudulently signed fake delivery notes for 120 computer units purporting that the ministry had received the gadgets under the presidential computerisation programme, prejudicing it of US$83 525.
Source: Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-Southern Africa)