Former GOVT Accountant-General dies, family suspects foul play

Former Finance ministry’s Accountant-General Daniel Muchemwa has died, Zim Morning Post can reveal. He passed on Sunday morning at Dandaro Hospital in Borrowdale, Harare.

According to medical records, Muchemwa succumbed to cancer of the bone marrow. Mourners are gathered at Number 437 Antelope Road, Mandara.

Tension engulfed the funeral wake as some family members suspect foul play basing claims on the events preceding his death, Zim Morning Post can reveal.

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“Well people die on God’s time but we believe our father, brother, grandfather and friend did not die of natural causes.

“Of course he was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and spent a bit of time at West End clinic and all but we have strong reasons to believe that he is a victim of speaking truth about corruption in this country.

“After he left his job at the ministry, some people were not happy with the way he handled his Parly appearance with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) where he is perceived to have opened the lid on the unaccounted funds abused by Sakunda under Command Agriculture,” explained a close family member who refused to be named.

“In fact, the ministry itself (led by Mthuli Ncube and George Guvamatanga) frustrated him and held on to some of his benefits like his car and part of the severance package.

“Yes, people die of cancer but since when has cancer killed a person in two months.

“We had to buy 16 pints of blood because he wasn’t producing it anymore.

“We suspect some people who had something to hide within the ministry or any other government department might have had a hand in the inducement of this so called cancer.

“He started having this problem after a work trip to Chinhoyi two days before his dismissal.

“He worked under Mugabe (Robert) and we are told his dismissal was part of a cleansing of strategic citizens who worked under Mugabe.

“We are hurt and worried about how he was treated. He even said it himself that the Parly incident invited trouble for him,” added our source.

The sourced added that it boggles the mind how the person he took over from (Edwin Zvandasara) was appointed to replace him.

The late Muchemwa was relieved of his duties in October 2019, two months after he admitted to PAC that the government had erred and broke the law in the unauthorised allocations of funds to the Command Agriculture programme.

The programme was then trailed by controversy involving a staggering US$3,2 billion.

Muchemwa appeared before the Tendai Biti chaired PAC, answering to allegations that government might have lost ZWL$5 billion through dubious and inflated payments from Treasury’s main exchequer account without supporting or source documents.

Of this amount, more than ZWL$1 billion was paid to business mogul Kuda Tagwirei’s energy company Sakunda Energy.

The funds were said to be in respect of inputs for Command Agriculture.

Muchemwa, the Ministry of Finance chief principal director, Zvinechimwe Churu and Treasury Budget director, Fidelis Ngorora admitted the laxity with view of correcting the anomalies.

This saw his sacking in October 2019 after four years occupying the hot seat.

Funeral arrangements were still under discussion at the time of writing. Zim Morning Post