Zimpapers Logo

Paidamoyo Chipunza,Senior Health Reporter

An investigation into alleged abuse of office by former National Aids Council (NAC) board chairperson Dr Evaristo Marowa has cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Instituted by the Ministry of Health and Child Care sometime in 2018 following a series of anonymous letters alleging that Dr Marowa offered consultancy services to NAC through Compre Health Services, a company that he is affiliated to, the investigation also cleared the former chairman of an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship.

In a letter dated July 19, 2019 and addressed to Dr Marowa, Secretary for Health and Child Care Dr Agnes Mahomva described most of the allegations cited in the anonymous letters as “untrue and malicious”.

“The findings (of the investigation) indicated that the allegations in the anonymous letters were mostly untrue and malicious,” she said.

“The investigation found that generally, good corporate governance was not compromised with regards to the management of NAC resources, but that there was room to improve to meet the expectations of NAC’s stakeholders.

“The investigation noted that allegations of an affair between the board chair and a NAC employee were not true and concluded that the allegations were meant to tarnish the board chair’s image.”

In another letter dated March 13, 2019 signed by the then acting chief executive offer Mr Raymond Yekeye addressed to Compre Health Services chief executive officer Dr Godfrey Sikipa, NAC said it never had any contract with the firm.

“The NAC has reviewed all its records and would like to inform you and confirm that NAC at no time ever had a contract with Compre Health Services and never provided any funding or any other resources to Compre Health Services,” reads part of the communication.

Allegations against Dr Marowa started towards the end of 2018 following a series of anonymous letters, which also contained several allegations among other senior executives.

These allegations forced Dr Marowa to resign from the board before the expiry of his term of office.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Health and Child Care dissolved the remaining board in March this year.

The board had served for barely a year.

Coincidentally, the then NAC CEO, Dr Tapiwa Magure, left the organisation around the same time.

Since then, NAC has been operating without a substantive CEO and a board.

NAC is an organisation established through an Act of Parliament to coordinate and facilitate the national-multi-sectoral response to HIV and Aids.

It is also mandated to administer the three percent Aids Levy taxed from employees’ income every month.