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Mahere, netizens mock Minister Mavetera's office disorder

by Gideon Madzikatidze
12 Mar 2024 at 08:24hrs | Views
The Minister of Information, Communication, Technology, Postal and Courier Services; Honourable Tatenda Mavetera has received massive social media backlash from former opposition Citizens Coalition for Change's Mt Pleasant constituency, Fadzayi Mahere and other netizens after parading Google vice president adjacent to unprotected electrical cables and plugs, a clear indication for the government's incapacitation to maintain its offices (and some of its properties).

Commenting on her official X (formerly Twitter) account, Fadzayi Mahere condemned the state of ICT Ministry's precincts (especially electrical power points or sockets) as in total disarray which calls for the maintenance department to activate its services and therefore guard the government offices' repute before posing for group photos with renowned Google's senior vice president (Reseach,  Technology and Society), James Manyika.



"Please may the Ministry's maintenance department fix broken plug and those hanging cables. Thank you to James Manyika for continuing to share his insight," Mahere posts.

Earlier before the social media backlash, the ICT Ministry posted Mavetera and Manyika's photos on its official X account whilst expressing gratitude for the courtesy visit.

"Our Hon Minister @TateMavetera today met with Dr Dr James Manyika who is Google's senior vice president; Research, Technology and Society," the Ministry posted.

"@TateMavetera expressed her delight in having a Zimbabwean holding a top position at a global tech company like Google," the Ministry said.

The Zimbabwean government has been fingered in embarking on massive globetrotting voyages to attend forums which are meant to market the country as Africa's best brand and destination for foreign direct investments, a futile exercise which analysts described as parasitic spending or bleeding the national fiscus.

With a set of plugs or small components and electrical cables costing less than us$2 (in total for each set), the Ministry of ICT has been exposed of misprioritising its resources towards office maintenance, management and procurement as part of branding Zimbabwe.

Other netizens have further warned against inflating tenders and pricing when purchasing electrical equipment to replace those seemingly defunct hanging on Ministry's walls. Tender scams have become rife in Zimbabwe with several businesses connected to the elites not spared from being awarded regardless of inflated prizes which are above normal.

Source - Gideon Madzikatidze