NetOne Boss Liberty Masunda Suspended Without Pay, Now Desperately Begging Mnangagwa For Help

NetOne Commercial Boss Liberty Masunda Suspended Without Pay

The boardroom battles at State-owned mobile telecoms giant NetOne have exploded into a full-blown crisis, with its top commercial executive now suspended without pay and desperately seeking an audience with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to save his job.

Liberty Masunda, the Chief Commercial Officer for Network Cellular (Pvt) Ltd, has been slapped with a suspension following a damning investigation that substantiated a raft of serious charges against him. The embattled executive is now pulling out all the stops to climb the political ladder, having already met with Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya yesterday in a bid to escalate his case to the highest office in the land.

10 Charges Substantiated In Damning Probe

Masunda’s fall from grace has been swift and brutal. Initially placed on forced leave on February 2 to allow for an independent and confidential investigation to be conducted, the axe finally fell on Monday this week. According to The NewsHawks, he was formally suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings after the probe concluded.

The investigation was carried out by DT Guard Security, an independent private investigation firm. The firm left no stone unturned, relying on documentary review, structured interviews, policy and regulatory compliance problems and analysis, and corroboration by various informed sources.

The results were catastrophic for Masunda. The investigation established full evidence on 10 charges levelled against him, which include allegations involving misconduct, conflict of interest, regulatory non-compliance and governance breaches bordering on corruption.

CEO Arrest And Boardroom Bloodbath

Masunda’s suspension is the latest chapter in what insiders describe as a raging boardroom storm with his bosses. He has found himself caught in the crossfire of internal politics, particularly with chief executive Raphael Mushanawani.

The drama at the top echelons of NetOne has been simmering for months. Mushanawani himself is no stranger to controversy. He was arrested last October by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on allegations of US$1.2 million (approximately R22.1 million) fraud over a SAGE 1000 system upgrade to Sage L200. The arrest sent shockwaves through the parastatal, and now Masunda is facing his own corruption-tinged allegations.

It is understood that the relationship between Masunda and Mushanawani has been strained, with the suspension seen by some analysts as a symptom of a deeply fractured leadership. The fact that Masunda is now scrambling to meet President Mnangagwa suggests he believes his only hope lies outside the formal company structures, bypassing the board and the CEO entirely.

His meeting yesterday with Rushwaya is a clear sign that he is playing hardball, attempting to use political connections to overturn the disciplinary process. Whether the President will grant him an audience remains to be seen, but the move underscores the high stakes involved.

For now, Masunda remains suspended without pay, facing disciplinary proceedings that could lead to criminal charges and a demand for the recovery of substantial losses.