Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eng Nancy Masiyiwa-Chamisa is still receiving her salary and full benefits a year after being suspended, ZINARA board chair Michael Madanha has confirmed.
Speaking before a public accounts committee, Madanha said Chamisa resisted a handsome payout which had been offered to her as a way of bringing the matter to conclusion.
He was responding to a question by committee chair, Harare East Member of Parliament, Tendai Biti on the rampant corporate governance flaws within ZINARA.
“Chamisa is still receiving her salary and full benefits because we are yet to finalise her disciplinary proceedings. Furthermore, she is participating in a court case. We offered the former CEO a package which she turned down as she superintended over most of the issues that are now haunting ZINARA. We have since handed over the matter to our lawyers who are working on the matter which they have promised to bring to finality in the coming days. Unfortatley it has taken so long because due diligence has to be followed,” he said.
Chamisa was suspended in June 2018 after she allegedly instituted the suspension and disciplinary hearings of Simon Tanharika and former administration and human resources director, Precious Murove without the approval of then minister Joram Gumbo.
However, Chamisa claims Gumbo interfered with the disciplinary proceeding of ZINARA executives to protect them.
Chamisa also claims she was suspended as punishment for her refusal to payout a kick back to South African firm, Neo Africa. The payout of $5.2mln had been set as a prerequisite for ZINARA to be able to access a 150mln loan from ZB Bank.
Neo Africa was also implicated in a 2012 Corruption Watch report over a R3million bribe scam in a Johannesburg tender scandal. Chamisa said there was no justification for the involvement of a third party in a transaction between ZINARA and ZB bank.
Gumbo has since been moved and is now the minister of state in the president’s office in charge of implementation and monitoring.
Madanha said the parastatal is currently resolving its Human resource challenges starting by filling in vacant positions. ZINARA has since held 5 interviews for the positions of Corporate Secretary, Finance Director, Technical Director and Audit manager. He said the state entity has since put in place a robust human resources policy which has been approved by the board.
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