Terence Mukupe

Background

He grew up in Mufakose.^[1] He did his high school in Gweru at Chaplin High School.

Education

He trained as a mathematician at the National University of Science and Technology.^[1] He also studied for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at the New York University - Leonard N. Stern School of Business.^[2]

Career

After training as a mathematician he spent some time as a Wall Street banker. He also spent some time in Europe and then came back to Zimbabwe. In an interview he stated that he joined Zanu-PF in 1995.^[1]He represented Zanu-PF in the run-off for the Harare East parliamentary seat after winning the primary elections.

Positions Held

• Director- Palladium Mining Company (Aug 2011 – Jan 2015)
• Allied Financial Holdings-Group Chief Executive Officer (Mar 2014 – Sep 2014)
• Renaissance Capital-Chief Executive Officer (Aug 2010 – Jul 2012)
• Africa Investor Group, LLC- Managing Partner (2009 – Jul 2010)
• Midas Medici Group Holdings / Knox Lawrence International, LLC-Senior Associate (May 2007 – Dec 2008)
• RBC Capital Markets-Investment Banking Associate (Jun 2006 – May 2007)
• Bank of America-Investment Banking Associate (2005 – 2005)
• African Banking Corporation-Treasury Manager (Apr 2001 – Jun 2004)

Controversies

Mocking Biti's Supposed HIV Status

In May 2018, during a live political debate on Star FM Mukupe mocked Tendai Biti for being an HIV infected person. After being accused of coming to a radio programme drunk by Biti, Mukupe shot back "You tell me about being drunk have you taken your pills? You talk about my being drunk have I said that you take ARVs?"^[3]

Arrest for Assault

In April 2018, Mukupe was arrested and fined for assaulting his ministry’s finance director, 58-year-old Ignatius Mvere, for allegedly giving him a “paltry $910 travel allowance”.^[4]

Arrest For Smuggling Fuel

In February 2017, Mukupe was mentioned in a fuel scam involving four tankers that entered Zimbabwe with 140 000 litres of diesel purportedly in transit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the contents were emptied in Chitungwiza and replaced with water.The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) did not charge excise duty for the fuel at Forbes Border Post after being duped the cargo was destined for the DRC. This prejudiced the State of $55 650.

ZIMRA intercepted the four tankers at Chirundu Border Post after detecting a suspicious detour using its electronic cargo tracking system, and upon inspecting the trucks discovered that they were now carrying water. Speaking through his lawyer, Mr Brian Hungwe, he confirmed that he got involved in the matter as an agent for the owners of the fuel. Hungwe said Mukupe followed the trucks up to Chirundu Border Post where they were intercepted, saying the deviation to Chitungwiza had been communicated at Forbes. Hungwe said they had been instructed by their client to file an appeal to the Acting Commissioner General of Zimra.^[5]

On 08 November 2023, Mukupe and his accomplices Same Kapisoriso, Joseph Taderera and Leonard Mudzuto were convicted by the High Court of importing 138 979 litres of diesel without paying duty.^[6]

On 16 November 2023, Mukupe and his three accomplices were sentenced to an effective three years in jail each with six months suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.^[7]

In addition, the court slapped Mukupe and his accomplices with a US$12 780 fine each, failure of which they serve another two years’ imprisonment.

Fraud

In February 2017, Mukupe and three others appeared before a Karoi magistrate charged with fraud. Makupe and his co-accused; Same Kapisoriso, Ngonidzashe Mutsvene and Joseph Taderera, were charged with fraud as defined in Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) Chapter 9:23 or alternatively contravening Section 174(1) (e) of the Customs and Excise Act (False Declaration). The four, represented by Advocate Brian Hungwe and lawyers Mr Selby Hwacha and Mr Sam Chitumwa, were remanded to March 6 on free bail for trial.^[8]

Murder Threat

Lawrence Katsiru (Marondera Central MP-Zanu PF) allegedly filed a complaint in the National Assembly, accusing his party colleague, Terence Mukupe (Harare East MP) of threatening to kill him over an undisclosed matter.The matter was reported not to have been resolved and the complainant cited the following; ^[9]

On a point of order Mr Speaker, is it parliamentary that Mukupe comes to my bench, where I am seated, to insult and threaten to kill me?”

“Can you protect me Mr Speaker, and although he has threatened me, he is a small boy, and if he wants to rub shoulders with me, why can’t he wait until we are outside Parliament?”^[9]

It was alleged that Mukupe and Katsiru had been clashing over ward 46 boundaries in Harare East, where the former is alleged to have tampered with boundaries, to include people from Mashonaland East, where the latter is a provincial member, to vote in a council by-election in the capital.^[9]

Contempt on Mugabe

Mukupe was reported to have indicated that the stance taken by the Robert Mugabe t retain graft-accused permanent secretaries made a mockery of government’s anti-corruption.Robert Mugabe reshuffled his cabinet and chose to keep some secretaries deemed corrupt,this did not go well with Mukupe,^[10]

“I for one do believe that if we are to progress as a country we need to set up term limits for the perm secs (permanent secretaries).... We need new faces with energy and new progressive ideas”.

“I must say Munodawafa, with all the scandals that have followed him, is one very lucky guy... And the jury is still out there for Prof Gudyanga,” he said.

“As for...Sibanda (Desire Sibanda who replaced George Magosvongwe as the permanent secretary of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment ministry), one of the greatest minds I’ve ever interacted with... It’s really a waste to put him in the Youth ministry,”^[10]

Accident Escape

Mukupe was involved in an accident in March 2017 and he is reported to have indicated

“The devil is a liar, I will only die when God says it’s time!!! Back to sender, I’m alive!!!”^[11]

Army Won't Let Chamisa Rule Utterances

In May 2018, Terence Mukupe was quoted saying

"There is no way those who were behind the military intervention that ousted former President Robert Mugabe, can let MDC-T leader, Nelson Chamisa lead Zimbabwe."

^[12]

Lawsuit over $28 000 Debt

Terrence Mukupe was sued for $28 000 by China Industrial International Group. The company alleged that Mukupe had become evasive about paying the debt which came after the firm constructed his city offices. Part of the court papers filed by the Chinese firm stated that

The project was successfully completed to the defendant’s (Mukupe) satisfaction and was handed over to him on February 22, 2018, at which point the balance of $28 000 became due. Defendant made numerous undertakings to pay the balance, but he has not honoured his undertaking.

^[13]

Insulting Biti on Live Radio

In May of 2018, Mukupe insulted MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti during an interview on Star FM programme 326 Xpress hosted by Phatisani and KVG. Mukupe alleged that Biti takes anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs after being labelled a drunkard and a clown.^[14]

Alleged assault of a Journalist

Terence Mukupe allegedly assaulted an SFM journalist in the ZBC studios. The journalist’s husband, who was apparently present during the attack, tweeted about the incident and said that the matter was reported to the police.

Harare East rallies

Default judgment over pupils’ fees

Terrence Mukupe was slapped with a $30 000 default judgment after a Harare private school petitioned the High Court to recover fees owed by the Mukupe’s children.^[15]

Through its lawyers, Musoni Masasire Law Chambers the school filed the summons on June 18, 2018, claiming Mukupe owed $29 948 in school fees for his three minor children. The school later applied for a default judgment after the minister ignored the summons. High Court judge Justice Owen Tagu granted the order

References