Samuel Undenge

School / Education

No information was found on his Junior or High School, or any tertiary education.

Service/Career

The political life of Undenge can be traced back from his home area of Chimanimani in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. He rose to fame when he became the Member of Parliament for Chimanimani East constituency. He was first appointed Minister of Anti-corruption, a government Ministry which dealt specifically with the end of corruption which had marred public institutions and state department during a period.

In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Chimanimani East returned to Parliament:

• Samuel Undenge of Zanu PF with 12 514 votes or 72.34 percent,
• Isaac Sithole of MDC–T with 4 785 votes or 27.66 percent,

Total 17 299 votes

In 2013, Undenge was in the Zanu PF part of the Government of National Unity following the 31 July elections. He was awarded the office of the deputy minister in the Finance which was being led by Patrick Chinamasa.

It was during his tenure in as deputy minister of Finance when Zanu PF was involved in serious factional fights which saw the deposition of then vice president Joice Mujuru, senior party members such as Rugare Gumbo, and cabinet ministers such as Nicholas Goche. It appears Undenge was part of the party of leaders that remained loyal to President Robert Mugabe. After the deposition of Dzikamai Mavhaire from the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Undenge took over as the Minister. He was sworn in as the new Minister of Energy and Power Development 12 December 2014 by president Robert Mugabe together with other incoming ministers who included Oppah Muchinguri, Supa Mandiwanzira and Christopher Mutsvangwa. ^[4] As the minister of energy, Undenge was faced with the daunting task of restoring normalcy in the provision of power to the corporate institutions and households after years of inefficiency by the power regulatory authority, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority Holdings.

Farm Mechanisation Scheme

In July 2020, Samuel Undenge was listed, in the BSR of 18 July 2020, as a beneficiary in the 2007 RBZ Farm Mechanisation Scheme, as a result of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme.

The data is analysed by recipients origin:.

• Mashonaland provinces had the most beneficiaries, both in terms of numbers and value.
  

Mashonaland East got US$47,5 million,
Mashonaland West US$44,7 million
Mashonaland Central had US$34,2 million.

• Two Matebeleland provinces had a combined total of US$13,9 million.
• Masvingo US$26,4 million,
• Manicaland US$18 million
• Midlands US$14 million.

Samuel Undenge is listed under the thematic group “Politicians”. According to the list, he got a loan of US$70,935.00. ^[5]

Business Interests

Undenge is believed to be the co-owner of Star Lotto which is run by his wife Latina. Star Lotto, which is a gambling establishment has over 200 terminals in the country. It is believed that as part of the requirements, the lottery firm cedes 25% of its profits towards charity; that is orphanages, old people's homes, health services among others. Star Lotto has also brought in international partners and made sure that verification and audit of numbers are done outside the country to limit chances of forgery and corruption. Star Lotto also joined a number of other growing lottery establishments.
Besides the gambling business, Undenge also owns a textile firm Fartingale Designs Private Limited which operates under the trade name Panashe Fashions which has branches in Harare. ^[6] Undenge also owns a farm in Chimanimani where he is involved in commercial crop production.^[7]

Events

Lawsuits

Maintenance

In April 2014, Undenge was involved in a maintenance fight with his ex-wife Angeline Munyeza for the upkeep of his two children he sired with her. ^[8] Undenge, since 2005 had been reportedly contributing towards the upkeep of his two children he sired with Angeline Munyeza, paying $650 per month for both of them until the arrangement was changed by the courts after he had launched an application which argued that one of the children had turned 18 years and could not continue under the maintenance. ^[7]

Maintenance arrears

In June 2018 Undenge was taken to court over maintenance arrears that had accrued to 226 000 Rand. His former wife Angeline Undenge took him to court claiming that he had failed to pay tuition for his 22-year-old son Christian Undenge who was enrolled at Monash University in South Africa. Undenge pleaded not guilty to the charge of defaulting on his maintenance obligation as laid in the charges against him. In his defense Undenge's lawyers argued that the child in question Christian was no longer a minor.

Estate

Undenge's company was allegedly involved in a legal battle with MIPF Holdings, a Harare based estates and properties company. The MIPF wanted Undenge's company, Fartingale Designs (PVT) LTD t/a Panashe Fashions, evicted from number 5 Central Avenue in Harare for failure to pay rent and other costs amounting to US$40 000. In papers lodged with High Court by MIPF lawyers, the fund charges that Undenges company defaulted on rent and operating costs April 2009 and 2011.

Successes

Directive to Reduce Fuel Prices A few weeks after assuming office as minister of Energy and Power Development, he allegedly registered considerable success when he issued a directive to reduce fuel prices in direct response to the declining International fuel prices. For some days, local fuel dealers resisted the move but through Undenge directive the prices subsequently fell down. In one of the press conferences relating to the matter, Undenge was quoted as saying, “It is important to note that the price of fuel is influenced by many factors in different countries. In Zimbabwe, the December FOB (free-on-board) based maximum pump prices that I expect to take effect by January 14, 2015 are composed of almost 50% fixed costs and 50% variable costs,”.^[9]

Gwanda Solar Tender Allegations

In March 2018, Munacho Mutezo together with former Ministers, Samuel Undenge, Elton Mangoma, Dzikamai Mavhaire were investigated for alleged involvement in Wicknell Chivayos Gwanda Solar Project tender award. Chivayo’s Intratek was reportedly paid $5,6 million without a bank guarantee in a $200 million Gwanda Solar Project. ^[10]

Fraud allegations

Samuel Undenge went on trial on abuse of office charges for allegedly influencing the granting of tenders to his friends. ^[11]. The former minister, who denied the charges, claimed that he was acting on a directive from (then) Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office when he wrote a letter directing power utility ZESA to engage the services of Fruitful Communications, without going to tender and despite the fact that ZESA has its own fully staffed public relations department. Fruitful Communications is owned by ZBC journalist Oscar Pambuka and Zanu PF politician, Psychology Maziwisa.

However, Mujaya convicted and sentenced Undenge to five years in prison for the crime, noting that Undenge had not denied writing the letter which authorized Pambuka and Maziwisa to handle Zesa’s public relations.

Jail

Undenge was given bail pending appeal and paid $1000 for his freedom which meant that the state could pursue its case against him by way of summons. On 19 June 2020, he was sentenced to two and half years in prison for abuse of office. ^[12] Undenge began a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence in 2020 after losing his appeal against a 2018 conviction for corruption.

Release

Undenge was released from jail after President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the presidential amnesty. The government has gazetted the legal instrument releasing 2500 prisoners falling under selected categories.

In a government gazette’s general notice 695 of 2021, the Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Virginia Mabhiza said President Mnangagwa had signed the clemency order number 1 of 2021 in terms of section 112 (1) (a) (d) of the country’s constitution.

She added that the amnesty will help in decongesting prisons. According to the legal order, all-female prisoners, juveniles under the age of 18 years, prisoners serving effective sentences of 36 months and below, and all prisoners aged 60 years and above except those convicted of specified offences qualified to benefit from the clemency order.^[13]

Trivia

• Undenge was part of the cabinet which was rated as the worst in Zimbabwean history.^[14]

Further Reading

References