The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) executive board chairperson Sydney Gata is being accused of abusing his office to pay his company’s employees using public funds, among other misdemeanours.
A report sent to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) indicates that Gata has been using a private entity, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Industry Trust (ZESIT) to carry out projects meant to be done by ZESA.
He is also accused of using the power utility’s funds to pay “ghost” employees such as one Peter Mutsaka who is neither a ZESA employee nor consultant.
Engineer Peter Mutsaka has been placed on the Zesa payroll without a contract.
He draws a salary from and utilises public funds but has no contract with the company as either an employee or consultant?
Peter Mutsaka is a promoter of a company called Liberation Mining that is also seeking to work with the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) is doing work for the company having been sponsored by the executive chairman.
Gata is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with ZESA, in which he is suing his employer a US$10 million claim as his retrenchment package when he was fired by the company in 2007.