Wicknell hits back at critics

CONTROVERSIAL businessman Wicknell Chivayo yesterday taunted his critics, who are accusing him of constructing substandard structures at his Gwanda solar project site.

Critics feel the structures area mockery of the controversial US$5 million dollars advance payment he received from the Zimbabwe Power Company.

Pictures of the miserly structures were on social media after a tour of the site by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy.

After seeing the pictures, some social media users said Chivayo should be sent to Chikurubi Maximum prison.

On Twitter, Tendai Hove said: "This level of corruption so ka, and to imagine this $7 million dollars later and the guy walks freely yet an unemployed guy who fails to pay maintenance is imprisoned."

Another Twitter user, Simba Muchena added:

"This is really a sad state of affairs. It, unfortunately, reflects badly on everyone as it literally means public funds can simply be looted with such impunity. Application of funds: Football, sneakers, clothes, cars, jewellery etc and hollow bragging about being business savvy."

Chivayo confirmed the structures circulating on social media but shot at his critics saying he was not going to construct a 12-bedroomed house as only temporary structures were needed.

Chivayo said the temporary structures are for security personnel who will be protecting the premise when project starts.

"Are they expecting me to build a 12-bedroomed house on a site that will be generating electricity? Those are temporary structures. We are going to put relevant structures. Tichapaisa magetsi ipapo, a sub-station.

"We stand guided by the provisions of the contract. We are going to put a 100-megawatt power generating station not those structures people are seeing, they are temporary," said Chivayo.