President Emmerson Mnangagwa has fired Health Minister Obadiah Moyo, who is linked to a $60 million shady deal involving the purchasing of COVID-19 test kits and other materials without following laid down government procedures.
In a tweet today, Information Secretary Nick Mangwana said Dr. Moyo has been removed from the post of cabinet minister with immediate effect.
A letter signed by Cabinet secretary, Misheck Sibanda, reads, “Please be advised that His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde E. D. Mngangagwa, has in terms of Section 340, subsection (1), paragraph (f) as read with section 104, subsection (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, removed Dr. Obadiah Moyo from the office of Cabinet Minister with immediate effect for conduct inappropriate for a Government Minister.”
Dr. Moyo was recently arrested and ordered to pay $50,000 by a Harare magistrate following revelations of alleged inappropriate conduct over the purchase of the COVID-19 materials sourced by Drax International said to be headed by Delish Nguwaya in Harare.
Police investigations have revealed that Dr. Moyo allegedly gave the company the greenlight to purchase the COVID-19 kits and other items without going to tender.
Nguwaya, who was also arrested recently, was also granted $50,000 bail today by a local magistrates’ court.
Dr. Moyo was unavailable for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone.
Nguwaya has been linked to the first family but the government has dismissed such reports.