By A Correspondent
Former Zanu PF heavyweight and ex-Tourism Minister Engineer Walter Mzembi has exposed the alleged looting of funds intended for the upgrade of Hwange Power Station (HPS) under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration. Mzembi claims that despite promises to end Zimbabwe’s chronic power shortages, the funds earmarked for the project have been misused, with little to show for it.
In a candid statement made on Tuesday, Mzembi said:
“I repeat, Hwange Power Station is a technical goblin and a crime scene.
The President, @edmnangagwa, in his own words, claimed that his friend, President Xi of China, gave him $1.5 billion to fix HPS. Yet, seasons later, there is still no power. Where is the money? Where is the power?”
Mzembi highlighted the depth of the issue, calling it “historical and multifaceted,” and suggested that the problem goes beyond technical challenges. He added:
“No amount of money can fix a technical problem when there is criminal intent at play.”
He went on to stress that the problem with Hwange Power Station dates back several years, citing old Cabinet records as evidence. According to Mzembi, the issue can be traced back to the Government of National Unity (GNU), when former Energy Minister Engineer Elias Mudzuri, frustrated by the situation, reportedly said, “Haaa, ndazvikonewa izvi” (I am overwhelmed by this). Mudzuri was soon replaced by Elton Mangoma.
Mzembi has called for a comprehensive investigation into the ongoing issues at Hwange before any additional funds are allocated to the project.
He warned against further wasteful spending, urging the government to carefully scrutinize the situation before committing more resources to what he referred to as a “technical goblin.”