By Dr Masimba Mavaza | There has been online news spreading rumours that the Zimbabwean government is funnelling millions of Corona virus dollars to a Mnangagwa-linked company.
The article maintained that the Zimbabwe government is funnelling US$60 million to a company linked to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, Collins, in a murky coronavirus drugs deal. This was reported by an online tabloid on Monday. The pad claimed that a little-known company called Drax Consult SAGL, which is registered in international tax haven, Switzerland, and represented in Zimbabwe by Delish Nguwaya, has been supplying drugs to the NatPharm, the government drugs firm, in a separate US$22.5 million arrangement since September last year.
These allegations of corruption against the company were a “conspiracy” aimed at tarnishing the name of the president and Zimbabwe as a country. They hope to remove the president from the political scene by fielding lies and jeopardising Zimbabwe’s chances of getting assistance during this Corona virus. The tabloid was misled by its sources that Nguwaya, is a business partner of Mnangagwa’s son, Collins and that Nguwaya has a colourful criminal past – including multiple arrests for armed robbery, cocaine possession and extortion.
Mr D Nguwaya on the contrary is a decorated dedicated Zimbabwean business man whose interest is to help the country go through difficult times.
The issue mentioned in the tabloid is misleading and indeed not correct. The medication which is supplied to Natpham was bought in October 2019. These drugs are now with Natpharm with bulk of it already distributed to government hospitals.
These drugs could not have been for Corona virus since they were bought in October 2019. By this time there was no Corona virus or any pandemic in Zimbabwe.
For the benefit of any doubt the funding was applied from the government as a loan this application was only approved in October 2019. Even by then there was no word about Corona. So saying that the funding was meant for Corona virus is mischievous unreasonable and highly provocative.
The assertions of corruption were brought against NguVaya by the bogus business persons who wanted to venture on the same trade. These are the ones fuelling gossip and intending to tarnish the image of his Excellency.
The publishing of such lies is not only harmful to Nguwaya but to Zimbabwe as a whole.
Considering that we are in a pandemic period one wonders why would a patriot publish such lies. Is it out of the love for Zimbabwe it is it the lack of it. The government of Zimbabwe made an appeal for assistance following the pandemic. In a sign of nationalism Nguwaya at State House on 18 April 2020 appeared at the state house event and donated over 2000.000 US dollars in response to government appeals following the outbreak.
Nguwaya represents a company which provided the drugs to Zimbabwe. The company is registered in Switzerland and it rose to the occasion. The drugs are now coming with some drugs now in Dubai and India waiting for the aeroplanes to resume flights.
These drugs were sent on the strength of the 20 million dollars which was loaned to them by the ministry of finance on 2 October 2019.
The letter of approval is in our possession.
It was only in 2020 March the company requested a top up of 40 million dollars which was approved on the 6th March 2020 but wit a wider supply of things like digital thermometers, oxygen, gauges, masks, ultra sound scanners, laboratory equipment among other things. The facility only spread the needs to cover other areas. At no time was this funding for Corona virus and saying The president is milking the treasury is a malicious mischievous and low aiming political chancing.
Zimbabwe can not afford to have a bad name spread out there when we are facing a very formidable unseen enemy. The Corona virus.
It is granted that Nguwaya has strew of allegations which follows him everywhere but he was never convicted of any of the allegations. The allegations should not become reality in the absence of a conviction. It’s only business enemies of Nguwaya who are poking their spears in the future of others.
We are all folly we have the past and we have moved on. In the process of trying to injure Navaya these business haters are dragging the name of Zimbabwe and the president in the mud.
Looking at the whole story the letter from the Perm sec Guvamatanga approved the funding in the best interest of Zimbabwe. This was not an issue of tender. Zimbabwe needs the drugs now and it is on this ground that funding is to be provided to sail through our health issues.
This is a mater of national health and national priority.
Now to try to connect Nguwaya to Collin Mnangagwa is laughable. Someone must at least grow up. The tabloid quoted Mr Guvamatanga. “The new dispensation is comprised of people with commercial experience” allowing “products or services to come into the country on certain terms.” This explains why there was no need for tender in the desperate times.
In trying to mislead the public the article tried to exploit the relationship between Collins Mnangagwa and Nguwaya. This is a desperate attempt to tarnish the president. The drugs delivered by Nguwaya to Zimbabwe are helping our own people in the hospitals. Mr Nguwaya is delivering and even donating to the state. It is this kind of a person the enemies are trying to raise his past against him.
In January this year, the finance ministry’s permanent secretary George Guvamatanga said Drax had delivered drugs worth US$2.5 million, and they were in talks to supply more drugs and equipment to the tune of US$20 million. The lock down has grounded a number of airlines and cargos. This has delayed delivery of consignments which is now in Dubai some in India. All this has nothing to do with Corona virus.
The allegations against Mr Collins Mnangagwa focus on his relationship with the controversial Nguvaya which was accused of influencing cabinet appointments and winning lucrative state business through corruption.
He has also been accused of taking bribes from logistics firms trusted to ferry the drugs.
Collins denied allegations of wrongdoing he is not in direct business with Nguwaya even though they know each other.
“I have been vilified, alleged to be the king of corrupt people, I have been given every other name and I have never responded to those issues,” Nguwaya said in response to these frivolous allegations.
Nguwaya on the ‘conspiracy’ against him He lashed out, in detail – and with fury – at what he said was a decades-long conspiracy against him.
He implied that one independent MO and Business man have been – and still are – part of an elaborate plot to discredit him, and the president of Zimbabwe even as he tried to bring drugs to help Zimbabwe.
Their eyes are are not on the work done but on shaking the bee hive. They are self destructive and indeed they are totally lost and wondering in the jungle of confusion.
Mr Nguwaya alleged that thise who gave damning evidence against him, are part of the plot to destabilise his business and tarnish the good name of Zimbabwe.
Mr Nguwaya said he found the Mnangagwa family very friendly and he wonders why the papers are trying to tarnish their image.
“I never did anything with them unlawfully. They just remained friends, as they were friends to everybody else,” Mr Nguwaya said.
He objected to allegations that he had been given the Corona virus contract to bring medication for COVID 19. He denies the allegations that Mnangagwa has allowed the state to be “captured” by the cartels and had auctioned the country. Nguwaya painted a picture of an alleged conspiracy dating back more than two decades to destroy him.
“I have been provoked,” he said, as he threatened to name alleged people who are after his business and after the head of the first family.
People are trying to soil the president and are busy trying to label any one who is around his family.
The truth is Mnangagwa the president of Zimbabwe has no Knowlledge of any money given to him by Collins or Nguwaya. The president does not need any monies for himself. Collins Mnangagwa is an adult and does not do his business riding on his father, uncle or grandfather. He stands for himself. It is an insult to him and what he stands for.
Nguwaya might have a rotten past but those were allegations. In Zimbabwe we believe in the rule that you are not guilty until convicted. Which means you are innocent until proven guilty.
As Zimbabweans we need to have responsible reporting. How will these lies make the country look. Very soon we will need help Corona virus is deadly. People are dying. If you start telling donors that their money is being stollen without any evidence what are you hoping for the nation.
There is no Coronavirus money dispatched to any company. Mnangagwa is cannot create a whole in his own pocket neither will he allow his son to act dubiously in any way.
We need to call upon God to save the nation from Coronavirus. We do not need devils behind their computers to curse our country.
God bless Zimbabwe.