Ex-NetOne boss nails down Mandiwanzira

FORMER NetOne chief executive officer Reward Kangai has implored Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi to expedite prosecution of the US$4 million corruption scandal in the parastatal which involved former Information and Communication Technology minister Supa Mandiwanzira.

Kangai is the State witness in the matter in which Mandiwanzira is being accused of interfering in the operations of mobile communication provider, NetOne, by allegedly corruptly handpicking a Chinese firm to investigate Huawei, with the investigating company set to be paid US$4 million.

He claims that he is still being victimised by individuals involved in the scandal, adding that there was interference with the course of justice on handling the matter which he reported to authorities in 2016.

On September 28, 2021, Kangai wrote to Hodzi informing him that he had approached several authorities, including the late former President Robert Mugabe, to have the culprits brought to book, to no avail.

In the letter gleaned by NewsDay, copied to Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) chairperson Loice Matanda-Moyo, and Justice secretary Virgina Mabhiza, Kangai said Hodzi risked destroying public confidence in the justice delivery system if he allowed the culprits to escape from the long arm of the law.

“As prosecutor-general, you have been reported in the Press as lamenting about the existence of cartels that have seriously affected the justice delivery system in Zimbabwe in the fight against corruption ...,” Kangai wrote.

“I am, therefore, surprised that you would miss such a golden opportunity to deal with the cartels in that system, slip through your fingers as the above subject matter is replete with corruption from the investigation stages to through trial, including victimisation of the whistleblower.

“I am, therefore, appealing to you sir to allow the justice system to run its course as the matter provides that rare opportunity to deal with the very cartels that you, His Excellency President (Emmerson) ED Mnangagwa, and Hon Justice Matanda Moyo lament about.”

Kangai said despite provision of all the necessary evidence for justice to prevail, the culprits had not been brought to book due to deliberate interference in the justice system, six years on.

“This is not a matter between the accused person and myself, but much to do with the collective interest of the Zimbabwean nation, that is, to effectively rid country of the corruption scourge ,” Kangai said.

He said the country’s huge economic potential could never be realised when corruption was as deeply embedded in State institutions.

After the US$4 million scandal was exposed, Kangai was fired from NetOne and later arrested by Zacc on corruption charges.