A government minister and the Registrar General may also get punished by an embarrassed President Robert Mugabe over the costly scam.
Mugabe recently spoke for the first time about the farcical diesel charade and hinted that those responsible government officials would be “brought to book”.
Information leaked from the president’s office shows that Mugabe instigated an investigation and his officials compiled a report that implicates Mhaka as the chief culprit, suspected of having “deliberately misled government by backing the traditional healer’s claims”. It further suspected that Mhaka could have also benefited from the financial gains made by Mavhunga – believed to exceed Z$5 billion.
Mhaka was quoted in the state-controlled media excitedly claiming the country had indeed discovered “pure” diesel coming out of rocks in Chinhoyi.
State Security minister, Didymus Mutasa, and Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede, are also likely to face trouble following discoveries that they played a role in giving credence to Mavhunga’s claims, while they reportedly also engaged her services for personal issues.
Sources say Mhaka, Mutasa and Mudede have already been questioned by Mugabe’s officials over the diesel scandal. Efforts to obtain comment from all three were unsuccessful.
Mugabe last week said his officials had been duped into believing Mavhunga because of her beauty. – Itai Dzamara
Post published in: News