Paul Nyathi

THE profligate President Emmerson Mnangagwa administration is spending millions of dollars per month on double salaries and allowances for senior officials in the Ministry of Health and Child Care despite a clean-up operation promised by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. Chiwenga also oversees the operations of the health sector.

Investigations by the Zimbabwe Independent show that directors who were sent on forced leave to pave way for corruption investigations over three months ago are still receiving their full salaries, while at the same time those who were elevated to act in their positions are enjoying similar perks.

Chiwenga has been superintending over the extensive restructuring process since last month when he was appointed Health minister after Obadiah Moyo was sacked from the position on July 7, at a time Zimbabwe is battling to contain the novel coronavirus.

Moyo’s sacking from cabinet arose from allegations that he unprocedurally awarded a shadowy company called Drax International a US$60 million contract for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the fight against Covid-19. Mnangagwa’s sons, Emmerson Jr and Collins were linked to the multi-million-dollar scandal through Drax International local representative Delish Nguwaya.

In the wake of the scandal, now commonly referred to as Draxgate, seven senior officials at national drug supplier, NatPharm, were fired.

The ongoing costly restructuring initiative, which is meant to “achieve greater efficiency as envisaged in the National Health Strategy”, has so far seen 27 directors and deputy directors placed on indefinite paid leave, as Chiwenga reshuffles the scandal-ridden portfolio. Most of the staffers put on paid leave served during Moyo’s tenure.

Source: Zimbabwe Independent