Former Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge has been committed to prison for two-and-a-half years after he appeared at the Harare magistrate’ court this Friday.
Undenge appeared before senior regional magistrate Trynos Utahwashe in the company of his lawyer Alec Muchadehama.
Muchadehama said they have since approached the High Court seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court against the latest decision.
Undenge was convicted of abuse of office in 2018 after he handpicked a public relations company for the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) without going to tender.
As a result, ZPC was prejudiced of US$12 000.
On 11 June, an arrest warrant was issued against the ex-minister after he failed to surrender himself to court.
Justice Joseph Musakwa, sitting with Justice Phildah Muzofa, had upheld both his conviction and the sentence.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/breaking-undenge-jailed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Herald</a></h4>

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Former Minister Undenge Sent To Prison

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Walter Mzembi and former Minister of Energy and Power Development Samuel Undenge have been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC). Mzembi is facing allegations of corruption and criminal abuse of office based on events which occured when he was still the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
Auditor-General Mildred Chiri once queried why the Ministry of Tourism allowed the delivery of 40 LED TV units worth US$2 million 13 weeks after the 2010 World Cup. However, Mzembi dismissed Chiri’s report as a petty issue in 2015 saying the television sets had been accounted for but had since been “donated” countrywide.  The former minister allegedly donated two television sets to Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International Church (UFIC) and another to Prophet Walter Magaya’s Prophet Healing Deliverance (PHD) without approval from the minister of finance.
Lawyer Job Sikhala said:
<blockquote>He is being charged with criminal abuse of office and we are hoping to appear in court tomorrow morning. The circumstances have to do with the donations that he made in his bid to promote religious tourism. He is being charged with violating the Finance Act</blockquote>
Undenge has been arrested on allegations of criminal abuse of office. Undenge is alleged to have used his influence to ensure that Zesa illegally gave tenders to his cronies. Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo is reported to be under investigation after he was advanced $5 million in controversial circumstances by the Zimbabwe Power Company when his company won the tender for the Gwanda Solar Power project. The advance came at the behest of Undenge. Despite receiving the money, no progress has been made on the project resulting in the Zimbabwe Power Company taking over the management of the project. The ZPC has announced that the project has been contracted to another entity.
The arrest of Mzembi and Undenge brings the number of former ministers who have been arrested to four after Ignatius Chombo and Makhosini Hlongwane. All four were aligned to former President Robert Mugabe’s G40 Faction, which was against President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe. The Mnangagwa administration has promised that there will be no “sacred cows” when it comes to fighting corruption, although it is yet to make good on its promise by arresting Ministers aligned to Mnangagwa’s own Lacoste Faction.
More: <a href="http://www.zbc.co.zw/?p=70153">ZBC News</a>

Former Ministers Walter Mzembi and Samuel Undenge Arrested

Energy minister Samuel Undenge was yesterday taken to task by legislators over the $5 million controversially advanced to businessman, Wicknell Chivayo, whose company, Intratek Zimbabwe was awarded the multi-million dollar Gwanda solar project under unclear circumstances.
The matter was raised by Norton MP Temba Mliswa during the on-going 2018 budget seminar in Victoria Falls who demanded to know why Chivayo was given the money and no progress has happened. Said Undenge:
<blockquote>The tender for the Gwanda Solar Power project was awarded to a company owned by Wicknell Chivayo (Intratek) and in the contract there was a provision for the payment of pre-commencement works, which was supposed to be paid to the company for topographical studies and feasibility studies. I don’t know how much was paid for the pre-commencement services such as topographical and feasibility studies. The Zimbabwe Power Company has taken over management of the project.</blockquote>
The Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, then directed the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy to investigate matter.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/11/undenge-grilled-5m-chivayo-advance/">NewsDay</a>, <a href="http://www.chronicle.co.zw/minister-grilled-over-chivayo-power-project/">Chronicle</a>

Minister grilled over $5 million controversially advanced to Sir Wicknell for Gwanda Solar Project

Presenting oral evidence before the mines portfolio committee on Monday, Energy Minister Samuel Undenge called for an increase in electricity tariffs claiming that ZESA is receiving revenue below its operating capacity.
Said Undenge:
<blockquote>The revenue which ZESA is receiving is below the cost of its operations and there is that constraint. I think you remember at one time I called for a tariff increase and at that time it was not taken. For the past five to six years ZESA has not known a tariff increase. When you compare to other countries like South Africa the tariffs are increased on an annual basis but we don’t have that in our pricing system so we need to address that.</blockquote>
The committee urged Undenge to come up with alternative plans saying the public cannot afford an increase under the difficult economic environment.
More: <a href="http://newzimbabwe.com/news-37555-Electricity+prices+must+go+up+Minister/news.aspx">NewZimbabwe.com</a>

Minister calls for electricity tariff increase

Zanu-PF’s Manicaland provincial executive council passed a vote of no confidence in its chairperson Samuel Undenge for incompetence and working with the party’s political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere in a plot to topple President Robert Mugabe.
Speaking to NewsDay, Undenge’s deputy, Joseph Mujati said they had sent a petition to Zanu PF secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo. The petition was also copied to Grace Mugabe and Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko. They are accusing Undenge of failing to organise regular provincial meetings in line with Zanu-PF’s constitution and for allowing his wife Letina Undenge to run the province.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/04/26/undenge-booted-out/">NewsDay</a>

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