Zimbabwe: South African investor makes bribery claims

A South African investor claims his business was frustrated by Zimbabwean officials pushing for a bribe, having been awarded a licence for a US$250 million solar project. 

Koko Matshela, a former acting-CEO of South African utility company Eskom, made the claims on social media in response a post by the Zimbabwean Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana. 

Mr Mangwana’s post quoted President Mnangawa in its condemnation of corruption. The President has threatened to bear down on Government officials who harass investors for bribes by sitting on their paperwork.   

Last week in Harare the President remarked “There are people in Government who are stalling some projects, including those from India… I now have a list of those projects. I direct whoever is sitting on those projects to move these projects or you will be moved.”

This statement was posted on Twitter by Mr Mangwana and responded to by Mr Matshela, who said he himself had been a victim of such corruption. 

Mr Matshela claims he conversed with a Zimbabwean man via WhatsApp, who said he could put Matshela in touch with “strong” local partners to expedite his paperwork at the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA). 

When asked by Mr Matshela whether he was the strong local partner, the man replied “We know you are stuck at ZERA. We can assist. We become your local partners by getting us something from the project. Only if you are willing,”

Interviewed by The Herald newspaper, ZERA’s acting chief executive, Eddington Mazambani, explained that Mr Matshela had amended his solar technology since his initial application, delaying the processing of his paperwork. 

Mr. Mazambani insisted that ZERA was a “transparent organisation and to suggest any deliberate undermining of projects was not only mischievous, but also defamatory.”