Axed Public Service Minister Prisca Mupfumira, who once evaded trial over US$95 million pension fund embezzlement citing insanity, has been certified fit to run for a seat in Zimbabwe’s parliament by Zanu-PF.
The current Makonde senator won a party ticket to defend her seat in elections due later this year.
Mupfumira, appointed into the lofty job by former President Robert Mugabe, was the first cabinet minister to be sacked by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who assumed office in 2017.
In a statement announcing her dismal 2019, Mnangagwa accused the politician “for conduct inappropriate for a Government Minister”.
This was after the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) had arrested and charged the politician for diverting state pension funds to finance her political campaigns and to fund a relative’s lavish wedding.
She was also ignominiously thrown out of the politburo.
Just when many thought her world was collapsing around her, Mupfumira made a surprise comeback into the party’s Central Committee via the December 2022 polls.
During her criminal abuse of office trial over funds embezzlement, Mupfumira claimed she could not stand trial anymore as she was suffering mental illness.
She claimed she was suffering from depression and requested time to also recover physically, claiming she had just undergone a medical operation.
However, by giving her thumbs up, Zanu-PF violated its own vows not to allow party officials facing criminal charges to run for polls on party tickets.
Addressing the media last month, Zanu-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa said the ruling party approved all CVs from those who were aspiring to contest in the internal polls except where a candidate faced criminal or violence charges.
Mutsvangwa said “there is zero tolerance against tolerance and violence” in the party.
In a social media comment, outspoken journalist Hopewell Chin’ono said by clearing Mupfumira to contest as a lawmaker, Zanu-PF was living up to its “criminality” tag.
“What more do you need to see to know that criminality is the main ingredient to rise in ZANUPF!
“Prisca Mupfumira presided over the looting of over US$100 million leaving pensioners destitute,” he said.
Source – ZimLive
