Minister in fresh energy scandal

Energy minister Samuel Undenge is lurching from one scandal to another, this time he neglected or ignored technical and expert advice that the US$194 million a year Dema Diesel Power Plant deal would leave ZPC, already financially struggling in deeper dire straits'.

The latest scandal comes at a time the minister is reeling from the US$200 million Gwanda solar power project in which dodgy tycoon and convicted fraudster Wicknell Chivayo was unprocedurally paid $5 million without a bank guarantee.

Meanwhile, Chivayo is fighting to have his 2005 conviction on money laundering  quashed by the Supreme Court despite having fully served the three year prison term imposed on him. He was in 2005 jailed five years for money laundering, which involved R837 000 by the High Court.

Two years were conditionally set aside, leaving him to serve three years. He appealed to the Supreme Court against both conviction and sentence, but his appeal has not been heard since 2005 after it emerged that some papers were missing from his court record.