OIL dealer Sakunda Holdings has denied capturing the state as commonly alleged by many Zimbabweans, among them top Zanu PF, opposition and independent figures.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the company\u2019s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Charles Chitambo sarcastically asked Norton MP, Temba Mliswa if he was serious about his allegations on \u201cstate capture\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mliswa had asked, \u201chave you captured the state?\u201d<\/p>\n
This was when Chitambo was appearing before parliament\u2019s Public Accounts Committee chaired by top MDC legislator Tendai Biti.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not think Honourable Mliswa is serious about this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be unlike for Honourable Mliswa to ask that question I suppose. Mr Chairman, we in Sakunda do not feel we have captured the State.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that we have used the best skills we have to respond to a national request to revamp the production of the grain for import substitution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that we have used the highest in our own selection process in working with a list of suppliers that was agreed with ministry of Lands and Agriculture.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that we worked within price parameters dictated by the ministry of Lands and Agriculture. We have tendered the returns back and observed those limits,\u201d Chitambo said.<\/p>\n
Sakunda reportedly enjoys the use of a vital state-owned pipeline that supplies most of the country\u2019s fuel needs as its owner Kudakwashe Tagwirei is said to be connected to some powerful government officials who include President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga.<\/p>\n
He used to partner Trafigura which is currently under scrutiny over how it used local intermediaries such as Sakunda to strike deals in markets such as Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
Christopher Mutsvangwa, a senior Zanu-PF figure, claimed Sakunda\u2019s influence over it was secured in a way that he described as akin to \u201cstate capture\u201d.<\/p>\n
The alleged benefits included inflated prices for fuel delivered through the pipeline at a time when a dire shortage of US dollars meant the country was struggling to pay for imports.<\/p>\n
Sakunda and Trafigura have both dismissed the allegations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have exited PUMA and no longer part of Trafigura,\u201d Chitambo said.<\/p>\n
He also revealed the real owners of Sakunda as Sandra Mupunga and Tagwirei.<\/p>\n
Chitambo also denied Sakunda has dominated the oil industry, telling the committee the company was no longer supplying more than 40% fuel as advised by government.<\/p>\n
There have been allegations that Sakunda has been receiving subsidies on fuel at the expense of other fuel suppliers in the market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
OIL dealer Sakunda Holdings has denied capturing the state as commonly alleged by many Zimbabweans, among them top Zanu PF, opposition and independent figures. On Monday, the company\u2019s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Charles Chitambo sarcastically asked Norton MP, Temba Mliswa if he was serious about his allegations on \u201cstate capture\u201d. Mliswa had asked, \u201chave you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":20764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,12],"tags":[38,1375],"class_list":{"0":"post-20760","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-head-lines","9":"category-policy","10":"tag-zanu-pf","11":"tag-sakunda"},"yoast_head":"\n