Former Cabinet minister and Zanu PF politburo member Patrick Chinamasa reportedly lost his influential treasury general’s post after crossing swords with President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allegedly interfering with his Cabinet ministers, NewsDay has heard.
Mnangagwa reportedly summoned the former Finance minister recently for challenging his government ministers after he reportedly wrote to former Local Government minister Winstone Chitando challenging the suspension of his alleged allies in Makoni Rural District Council over corruption.
The government suspended the Makoni RDC chairperson David Guy Mutasa and former chief executive Edward Pise who are allegedly well known Chinamasa allies. Pise was relieved of his post last week after holding on to the position for more than 30 years.
Chitando early this year dispatched an investigative team to look into allegations of land theft in Nyazura, but the investigators allegedly faced resistance from Mutasa and Pise, leading to their suspension.
Chinamasa, who was redeployed to the party’s national secretary for legal affairs, allegedly wrote to Chitando’s former ministry protesting against the suspensions.
He allegedly also wrote another strongly worded letter to the current Local Government and Public Works minister Daniel Garwe challenging his predecessor’s decision.
Both Chitando and Garwe were reportedly not amused by the conduct of the former party treasurer general and reported the matter to Mnagagwa.
In the letter to Garwe seen by NewsDay, Chinamasa said he felt compelled to advise him that the council had been deemed to be one of the best run local authorities under Mutasa.
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“Your predecessor, Honourable Winston Chitando took a decision which I strongly feel was unjustified and defies any logic unless there is something besides (what was) disclosed to me,” says the letter dated May 7 this year.
He said Mutasa was a past national chairperson of the National Association of Rural and Urban Councils.
“I thus feel strongly that the suspensions of Alderman Mutasa and Pise are not only unwarranted, but cast aspersions on their characters and reputation, something that could have been avoided through consultations,” Chinamasa said.
Meanwhile, sources have told NewsDay that Chinamasa who served as Finance minister and Justice minister on several occasions after joining the late former President Robert Mugabe as attorney-general had become arrogant after his rise under Mnangagwa.
Chinamasa has not been answering calls since last week.
Garwe said he was still new to the Local Government ministry to comment on the matter.
However, sources said Mnangagwa asked Chinamasa why he was questioning and challenging his Cabinet appointees.
“President Mnangagwa was not happy that Patrick Chinamasa was in the habit of challenging his ministers and was taken to task over the matter and told to stop the habit,” one source said.
“Chinamasa is literally challenging the President since Chitando and Garwe are his appointees especially after querying the decision to probe the corruption allegations.”
