‘This fiasco may have cast him in bad light, exposed him as unreasonable, selfish, grandstanding liar.’
ICTs minister Supa Mandiwanzira has hit back at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe management, claiming the company was being used to advance presidential ambitions of its founder, Strive Masiyiwa.
Presenting oral evidence before the ICTs Parliamentary Portfolio Committee this Monday, Mandiwanzira claimed the statement released by Econet attacking him after the reversal of the mobile data tariff hike was political.
The committee is chaired by chaired by MDC-T vice president Nelson Chamisa.
The minister accused Masiyiwa of using the company to fight for his political dream to take over from 93-year old President Robert Mugabe.
“It’s unprecedented in the relationship or private sector and government,” said Mandiwanzira this Monday describing the press release as a danger to the industry.
“It’s not my job to react emotionally to emotional reactions from institutions but it’s very clear when you read the statement that the anger was not on the price. The anger was on something else.
“I do not want to believe market speculation that one person very connected to Econet may have wanted to announce the Donald Trump like bid for presidency in this country on the first of January this year.
“This fiasco may have cast him in bad light, exposed him as unreasonable, selfish, grandstanding liar and that this may have been an opportunity that they have squandered in the expose that came out.”
Masiyiwa’s name has been associated with “regime change” by the Zanu PF government for years. The London-based telecoms tycoon was recently included on a list of individuals being considered to run as an independent candidate against Mugabe in next year’s elections.
Industry regulator, Potraz, had set the floor price of $0,20/mb but Econet implemented an increase that was five times more making the price for data the highest in the region at $0,
10/mb.
After a massive social media outrage, Mandiwanzira, who had initially put the issue aside for address after his annual leave, bowed to pressure a few hours later and directed the reversal. Masiyiwa also condemned the increase on Twitter.-NEWZIM
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The decision led the country’s leading telecommunications company to issue statements describing the minister as inconsistent and a danger to the industry.
Econet CEO Douglas Mboweni told parliament last week that his employer has been subjected to an unfair operating environment that favours quasi-government rivals NetOne and Telecel.
Mboweni specifically cited the issue of licence renewal fees, claiming his company had been forced to pay-up while its rivals are yet to pay anything since 2013.
Mandiwanzira dismissed the issue, choosing to describe the playing field as one that was actually favouring Econet being the major tax contributor to government revenue.
“This has been a lie that has gone unchallenged for long. Econet was actually given a special dispensation in which $60 million from the $137 million was paid through government liabilities and the rest cash over a six-month period proposed by the operator,” he said.
“There are many companies owed by government including NetOne and Telecel but have not been given this special dispensation so I would say it was titled in Econet’s favour.
“We have rule of law in this country and also there are courts where one can seek redress if they
aren’t happy.”
The minister said government had begun capacitating Potraz to ensure sanity prevails in the industry which was described to him by former ICTs minister Webster Shamu “as full of indiscipline”.
