Christian Katsande
Christian Katsande | |
---|---|
Occupation | Diplomat |
Organization | Governmnent of Zimbabwe |
Relatives | Kumbirayi Katsande, Nzwanayi Katsande |
Christian Katsande is a Zimbabwean Diplomat, Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Katsande is also a former Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet and a retired Colonel in the Zimbabwe National Army.[1]
Background
His brother Kumbirayi Katsande was the manager of Nestle Zimbabwe.[2] He also has a brother named Nzwanayi Katsande whom he employed as a driver and allegedly paid US$6 800 in salaries and allowances, far above what senior embassy employees were earning in 2020.[3]
Appointment as Deputy Chief Secretary
During the Government of National Unity (2009 - 2013) Robert Mugabe appointed Katsande to the post of Deputy Chief Secretary in the Department of Economic Research and Policy Analysis in the Office of the President and Cabinet.[4]
Career As Ambassador To UK
In 2018, Christian Katsande was redeployed to serve as Zimbabwean ambassador to UK by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.[5]
In July 2021, Katsande was accused of refusing to sign travel documents of some individuals that were due for deportation. Questions were raised over why Katsande refused to sign the travel documents of the four individuals.[6]
Career
Katsande, a retired soldier is a former military attaché to Britain, where he served as a diplomatic green-horn in the 1980s.[5]
Corruption Charges
As permanent secretary of NOCZIM, Christian Katsande appeared in court on charges of corruption.[7] Katsande was permanent secretary of Noczim at a time when Zimbabwe experienced fuel shortages that led to the resignation of Energy Minister Enos Chikowore and Katsande's arrest in March 2000.[8]
Renovation Scam
Katsande allegedly inflated the cost of renovations to his government-owned London residence by hundreds of thousands of US dollars. He allegedly connived with service providers to bill Government US$1,2 million for renovations which would see him and the service providers sharing the difference after the renovations.[9]
References
- ↑ Mnangagwa Appoints Katsande As Zim Ambassador To UK And Northern Ireland ⋆ Pindula News, Pindula News, retrieved: 12 Nov 2018
- ↑ Jim Armitage, British government criticised for hosting businessmen linked to Mugabe regime, Independent, Published: January 27, 2014, Retrieved: July 27, 2021
- ↑ More rot emerges at UK-Zim embassy, Zim Morning Post, Published: September 29, 2020, Retrieved: July 27, 2021
- ↑ Mugabe appoints retired military and CIO officers as Permanent Secretaries, The Zimbabwe Daily, retrieved: 12 Nov 2018
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 RICHARD CHIDZA, Former soldier to represent Zim in UK, NewsDay, Published: March 29, 2018, Retrieved: July 27, 2021
- ↑ Zimbabwean Ambassador To UK Refuses To Sign Travel Documents Of 4 Due For Deportation, Pindula News, Published:July 27, 2021, Retrieved: July 27, 2021
- ↑ Former mayor arrested, The New Humanitarian, Published: March 23, 2000, Retrieved: July 27, 2021
- ↑ Kuwait to bail out Zim, Namibian, Published: March 27, 2000, Retrieved: July 27, 2020
- ↑ Ambassador Katsande fingered in UK-Zim House renovations scandal, Zim Morning Post, Published: September 27, 2020, Retrieved: July 17, 2021