HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has authorized an investigation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) into Local Government Minister July Moyo over the Morton Jafffray US$9 million water pumps deal.
Already there is a public outcry over the recently unearthed $344 million Pomona waste management deal which was sanctioned by Harare City Council officials with the indirect involvement of Moyo.
A letter from ZACC dated 20th May 2022 shows President Mnangagwa had authorized the investigation into Moyo, who is one of his very close allies in the factional ZANU PF party.
ZACC has since written to Harare City Council requesting documents relating to the transaction.
Moyo was implicated in the corrupt awarding of the lucrative contract to his alleged sidekick, businessman Paul Kruger, to supply water pumps to the city of Harare at inflated prices.
Petricho Irrigation, represented by Paul Kruger in Zimbabwe, reportedly received the million-dollar contract without any opened tender as stipulated by the law.
The Treasury released funds for the deal at the height of Harare’s crippling water crisis in October 2020, after Moyo presented a cabinet document urging the government to intervene.
This led to a Cabinet order directing the Treasury Department to urgently release $9.3 million to purchase essential equipment to repair the Morton Jaffray Water Works facility, which had been closed.
The corrupt deal was exposed by Norton member of parliament Temba Mliswa who disclosed that under normal circumstance a water pump costs US$400,000 each.
Harare City council was reportedly charged US$2 million for each under a deal they bought 5 pumps.
