Former Minister of Information, Communication Technology and Cyber Security, Supa Mandiwanzira, who was arrested last month, has been given a trial date to answer to his case.
Mandiwanzira stood before Harare Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa today where he was told that his matter will be tried on 10 December.
The former ICT minister who is also the Nyanga North legislator, was in the company of his lawyer Brian Hungwe when he appeared before court today.
He is answering to charges of criminal abuse of office, after he allegedly single-handedly awarded an over $5 million consultancy services contract for NetOne to a company linked to him.
Mandiwanzira becomes the fifth former Cabinet minister to be arrested on corruption charges after former Foreign minister Walter Mzembi, who faces charges of criminal abuse of office, and former Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, who has been charged for trying to defraud the central bank over a decade ago.
Former Health Minister David Parirenyatwa was also arrested on charges of criminal abuse of office just over a month ago, while his former Energy counterpart Samuel Undenge was in July found guilty of corruption and sentenced to four years in jail.
Also, former Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo and his deputy Godfrey Gandawa face allegations of swindling the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund of $400 000. Both are currently on the run.
The arrest came after the former ICT minister handed himself to the CID Serious Frauds Department in Harare in the company of his lawyers Selby Hwacha and instructing Advocates Thembinkosi Magwaliba and Brian Hungwe soon after landing from China.
