Nguwaya savages Temba Mliswa

HARARE businessman Dilesh Nguwaya, has savaged Norton legislator TembaMliswa for maligning his reputation by labelling him as corrupt without providing evidence.

This comes after Mliswa accused the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu) in the President's Office, Cabinet officers and Nguwaya of visiting arrested businessman Felix Munyaradzi at the Harare Remand Prison and allegedly trying to "extort" him.

Munyaradzi is before the courts for allegedly duping people in land deals. Nguwaya is one of the complainants against Munyaradzi. Responding to the allegations against him by Mliswa, Nguwaya said in a statement yesterday that Mliswa was out of order.

"This smear campaign is motivated by malicious intent that is best known to the Member of Parliament as evidenced by the manner in which the complaint is directed to media and not the law enforcement agencies, that is the Zimbabwe Republic Police or the Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services who are tasked with maintaining the security and integrity of prisons in Zimbabwe.

"I do not have a criminal conviction. I am not a criminal. As a matter of fact, I am a decorated businessman and cannot possibly allow Mr Mliswa to continue maligning and soiling my good name," Nguwaya said in the statement.
"By this statement, I reserve all my legal rights to defend my name against mudslinging tirades."

He said he never visited Munyaradzi in the company of Sacu head Thabani Mpofu as alleged by Mliswa.
"I am not capable of releasing accused persons who are under the lawful custody of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services as I am neither a bail court nor a prison warden. I cannot possibly promise do what I am not capable of," Nguwaya said.

This comes after Mliswa wrote a letter of complaint over the matter to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his deputies Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi and Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri.

Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Philip Valerio Sibanda, Zimbabwe National Army commander Edzai Chimonyo, Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and Prison Services Commissioner-General Paradzai Zimondi were also copied.

"In my capacity as a Member of Parliament and mandated in my role of legislation, representation and oversight in both constituency and national interests and indeed as a concerned citizen of Zimbabwe, I hereby raise my extreme consternation over a visit made by a one, Delish Nguwaya, to a Felix Munyaradzi who is currently in custody at Harare Remand Prison," Mliswa wrote.

"My concern arises from the fact that Munyaradzi is the accused person in a matter where he is alleged to have duped Nguwaya and others of money for land.

"Nguwaya is alleged to be covertly visiting Munyaradzi for the purposes of extorting Munyaradzi to enable his release from prison."