TINASHE MAKICHI
Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) has appointed Nkosinathi Ncube as its chief executive, Business Times can report.
Ncube takes over from Nancy Masiyiwa-Chamisa who was dismissed over corruption allegations.
The scandal ridden Zinara fired Masiyiwa-Chamisa together with finance director Simon Taranhike last year.
Zinara chairman Mike Madanha has confirmed the appointment.
“Yes I can confirm his appointment but I don’t want to pre-empt because we are going to make an official announcement soon,” Madanha said.
Ncube is the former NetOne managing director for Mobile Financial Services. Ncube is well known in the Mobile money financial services after taking a lead role as the financial services director to launch Telecash.
Ncube’s appointment is expected to improve the running of the road administrator which has of late been dogged by allegations of abuse of funds scandals.
A recent audit report exposed massive financial abuse where US$142m was paid to illegally hired road maintenance contractors.
The audit done by Grant Thornton, covered the period between 2011 and 2016 when Zinara was being led by former chief executive Frank Chitukutuku.
The report exposed abuse of funds by the road administrator where during the period under review, between 2011 to march 2016, Zinara collected US$589.2m and only disbursed US$160m (27.3%) and gobbled close to US$428.4m (72.7%).
Zinara is a corporate body that was established in terms of the Road Act (Chapter 13:18).
The body was established in 2002 in line with the government’s commitment to prioritise the enhancement of a good road network system throughout the country.
Its mandate is to fix, collect, disburse road user charges and mobilise revenue for roads development and maintenance.
It also encompasses the monitoring of such funds that would have been disbursed for road maintenance to road authorities.
