Jaji Investments
Jaji Investments is a Zimbabwean company registered in Namibia, and is one of a few handpicked firms connected to Zimbabwe’s first family which have scored contracts with the government during the virus outbreak. It is believed that, Valdano Brown, President Emmerson Mnangagwa's trusted bodyguard, has ownership interest in the company.[1]
Backhground
The company is owned by Garikai Prince Mushininga who is very close to the Mnangagwa's family.
Covid-19 Scandal
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s top bodyguard won lucrative contracts to supply Covid-19 equipment to the Ministry of Health and Child Care without going through a competitive bidding process. On March 16, the company delivered 4,449 Covid-19 test kits to NatPharm worth US$66,375. The money was apparently paid to the company’s Namibian bank account held with Standard Bank.
Documents show that in April 2020, the health minister Obadiah Moyo instructed his permanent secretary then, Agnes Mahomva, to purchase another 4,500 test kits. Mahomva was mysteriously removed from the position in April 2020. In a handwritten note with a date stamp of April 14, 2020, Moyo says the kits are “available locally from China”, but then adds that “also used in Namibia” – an apparent nudge on Mahomva to return to Jaji.
Moyo assured Mahomva that “finance are ready to purchase for us”, while urging the secretary to “please process, copying Minister (Mthuli) Ncube and myself.”
A day later, Mahomva – apparently ignoring procurement procedures – wrote to George Guvamatanga the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Permanent Secretary. She had settled for Jaji. Attaching an invoice from Brown’s company, she wrote to Guvamatanga: “Attached please find an invoice for the rapid response test kits for purchase from Namibia. Your assistance in this regards (sic) is greatly appreciated.” The invoice was identical in price from the one back in March, totalling US$66,375. It was not clear if Jaji delivered on the new order. If they did, the ministry of finance would have paid the company US$132,750 in March and in April.
The Namibian also had a headline in April that read, "Confusion over Zim, Nam Covid-19 test kits donation", on the donated test kits. Zimbabwean vice-president Kembo Mohadi confirmed to Newsday, a Zimbabwean daily newspaper, the receipt of the test kits from Namibia. Zimbabwe's minister of information and broadcasting services Monica Mutsvangwa corroborated his sentiments to a Namibian daily.
However, Mutsvangwa, who previously lived in Namibia, made an about-turn to The Namibian today saying there was no such donation. “There was no donation from the Namibian government,” Mutsvangwa said though she earlier confirmed the donation to a Namibian daily on Friday. Ironically, both the health minister Kalumbi Shangula and deputy prime minister and international relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah also kept their cards close to their chest upon inquiry by The Namibian yesterday. “Where did you hear that we have donated test kits to Zimbabwe? It's not true, we don't even have them,” Shangula said. Nandi-Ndaitwah told The Namibian she was not aware of such a donation. “I do not know anything about it, speak to the health minister.”[2]
The Namibian Sun also reported that Namibia had gifted Zimbabwe with thousands of Coronavirus test kits. Despite Namibian authorities pleading ignorance, the Zimbabwean cabinet has confirmed that Namibia had gifted that country with 4 999 rapid coronavirus test kits. Both health minister Kalumbi Shangula and his international relations counterpart Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah denied knowledge of the donation when contacted for comment yesterday. Zimbabwean information minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday confirmed to Namibian Sun that her country has received rapid coronavirus test kits. A Zimbabwean cabinet briefing, dated 21 April and shared with that country’s media, confirms that Namibia donated test kits to her neighbour. The kits will be distributed to provinces, Cabinet said.[3]
