Supa Mandiwanzira

Personal Details

Born: 18 September 1972 in Mutare's Sakubva Suburb in Manicaland Province.
Marriage: To Ruth in 1998 and they have 3 children; 2 girls and a boy.

School / Education

He trained in journalism at the Harare Polytechnic in the early 90s. ^[1]
Masters Degree in International Journalism (City University of London).
On 10 December 2021, Supa Mandiwanzira graduated with a law degree from the University of Zimbabwe. ^[2]

Service/Career

Journalism

He started his career working for the Zimpapers owned Manica Post in his home city, Mutare, in 1992 but left to go and study journalism at the Harare Polytechnic. In 1994, after completing his studies, he got a job at the The Herald, another Zimpapers' owned publication. In December 1995, Mandiwanzira got the opportunity to start working for the state-owned television, ZBC TV where he became popular as a business reporter and news anchor. ^[1] Mandiwanzira was at ZBC for 5 years before moving to the UK where he worked for BBC World Radio service after obtaining a Masters Degree in International Journalism with the City University of London.^[3]

Mandiwanzira became the London correspondent of Summit Television. The latter was a new business news channel based in South Africa. Mandiwanzira was then appointed managing director of the African Business Communications until 2002 when he became the chief executive officer of Mighty Movies which he now owns.^[4]

Mighty Movies produced local TV shows such as Talking Business with Supa, Miss Tourism World 2006 (Tanzania) and other documentaries. Mandiwanzira then worked for South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), South Africa’s State broadcaster and Al Jazeera English, as the Zimbabwe correspondent. ^[5]

Affirmative Action Group (AAG)

Mandiwanzira was the president of the Phillip Chiyangwa founded Affirmative Action Group until October 2011 when members of the empowerment lobby organisation passed a vote of no-confidence in Mandiwanzira's executive leadership group. Mandiwanzira's deputy at that time was a controversial former Zanu-PF politician, Temba Mliswa. Mandiwanzira's executive was "accused of embarking on foreign trips that were not beneficial to the AAG and of using the group to defend personal interests that were not in line with the body's objectives." ^[6] In February 2015, Chiyangwa praised Mandiwanzira Mandiwanzira for his role in the AAG.^[7]

Public Office

Mandiwanzira had said he never thought he would become a politician, however, he had been a strong admirer of Zanu PF before joining politics. He said he had to respond to the call by the people of Inyanga, where he grew up, to represent them in parliament. Mandiwanzira is reported to have been invited by the Mutare community leaders there who thought he could use his influence to uplift the community through representing them. ^[8]

In July 2013, he contested in his first ever political election on a Zanu-PF ticket. He was unchallenged at the primaries.^[9]

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

• Supa Mandiwanzira of Zanu PF with 11 752 votes or 61.89 percent,
• Willard Chimbetete of MDC–T with 6 165 votes or 32.57 percent,
• Fungai Makotore of MDC–N with 782 votes or 4.12 percent,
• 1 others with 290 votes or 1.53 percent.

Total 18 989 votes

He was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister of Information (Jonathan Moyo's deputy).

Following the 6th Zanu-PF congress and the factional fights in which politicians such as former vice president Joice Mujuru, Tendai Savanhu and Dzikamai Mavhaire were dismissed from the party, Mandiwanzira was appointed into the party's politburo, which is the highest decision making body outside of congress.^[10]

In December 2014, Mandiwanzira was appointed Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, taking over from Webster Shamu who had apparently been in the wrong faction in the run-up to the party congress. ^[11]

In July 2018 he contested in the elections. He won and became the Member of Parliament for Nyanga South. He was however dropped from his ministerial role in government in September 2018 when Kazembe Kazembe was appointed Minister of ICT in his place.

In October 2023, Mandiwanzira was named as the new Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing in the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe.

Events

Positions Previously Held

• Minister of Information Communication Technology and Cyber Security (December 2014 - September 2018)
• Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity
• Managing Director of the African Business Connections

Business Interests

Mandiwanzira is one of the owners of a local radio station Z FM Stereo which is the only privately owned radio station in the country. It is also believed that he owns a media company called Mighty Movies which produces films, music videos and commercial productions some of which are broadcast by on ZBC.

Videos

Borrowing from government without Treasury approval

A report by the Auditor General revealed that Mandiwanzira broke the rules and got a $194,000 loan from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, under his Ministry for the purchase of a vehicle. The report stated that,

"The Ministry got loans amounting to $10 million, $194 564 and $95 000 from POTRAZ for the acquisition of government’s shareholding in Telecel Zimbabwe and purchasing of the Minister (Mandiwanzira) and Deputy Minister’s (Win Mlambo) vehicle respectively, without Treasury concurrence. These amounts were still outstanding as at the time the audit was concluded."

Mandiwanzira's Ministry did not provide documentary evidence to show that Treasury had given them the authority to borrow from state-owned enterprises. The report read,

"The ministry did not provide documentary evidence to show that they were given treasury authority to borrow from state-owned enterprises. Since the amount of $58 888 relates to appropriation expenses by the ministry, the expenditure should be accounted for in the 2015 financial year. In addition, the ministry did not provide documentary evidence on how it intends to account for the $10 289 564 for the purchase of shareholding in Telecel Zimbabwe and the purchase of the Minister and Deputy Minister’s vehicles."

^[12]

Corruption Allegations

Mandiwanzira was reported to be investigated for corruption by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) for allegedly handpicking Chinese firm to investigate Huawei. Mandiwanzira allegedly instructed NetOne to pay the company $4 million. This came after former NetOne Ceo Reward Kangai was reported to have submitted documents which showed Mandiwanzira as a director in Blue Nightingale Trading which has links with Megawatt Energy which Mandiwanzira allegedly tasked to carry out an audit into a NetOne deal without going to tender. Supa Mandiwanzira Being Investigated For $4 Million Corruption Scandal

Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe

Supa Mandiwanzira is mentioned on p20 of Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe as a shareholder in Univern Enterprises. Involved in corrupt activities with Zinara.

It has been alleged that former Minister Supa Mandiwanzira is a shareholder of Univern. (Mawire, Gift. 2015. “Top Lawyer Sucked Into ‘Zinara’s US$8m Snow Graders’ Supa Scandal…Zim Tender Board Compromised.” PaZimbabwe, January 17)

Supa Mandiwanzira also appears to own a company named Tarcon, (Taruvinga, Mary. 2020. “Supa Mandiwanzira Ordered to Pay U.S.$279k for 7-Year Debt.” New Zimbabwe, January 20, and Newsday. 2018. “Mandiwanzira sued over $317 000 debt.” Newsday, November 1. 101. Ndoro, N. 2019. “ZACC renews investigations on Bvute, Mandiwanzira ‘ICT Cartel’ kingpins allegations.” Zim Morning Post, August 21) whose Board chairperson during the time the tender awards were made was Ms. Florence Ziumbe. (Tarcon Africa. n.d. Board of Directors. Accessed July 22, 2020. http://www.tarconafrica.com/index.php/about-us/leadership) At the time, Ms Ziumbe was also serving as the deputy chairperson at the [[State Procurement

Board]], (Share, F. 2015. “Major shake-up looms at SPB.” The Herald, January 6) which Board oversaw the awarding of tenders and had charged Univern Enterprises and ZINARA a fine of just US$900 for flouting the procurement regulations in these tender awards.

Arrest in 2018

In November 2018, Mandiwanzira was arrested on charges of criminal abuse of office. Mandiwanzira allegedly engaged Megawatt Company to do consultancy work for NetOne without going to tender before directing NetOne to pay $5 million to the said company. ^[13]

On the second count, Mandiwanzira reportedly un-procedurally appointed his personal assistant, Tawanda Chinembiri, to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) board.^[13]

Mandiwanzira, was granted $2 000 bail when he appeared in court after one night in police cells.

Trivia

• There were rumours in the local media that Mandiwanzira lost his wife to the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo Joseph Kabila in the late 1990s. It appears that these stories were not true as Mandiwanzira was married to his wife Ruth since 1998. ^[14]
• In 1994 he got the Zimpaper's Award for best journalism student.

References