By Lance Guma
30 June 2005

Karigoka Kaseke, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport who was implicated in a rape scandal a few weeks ago, has been forced to resign his position. In typical Zimbabwean fashion Robert Mugabe, allegedy under influence from his Vice President and Kaseke's ally Joyce Mujuru, redeployed the former Secretary as Head of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. The move is a clear demotion since he will now be reporting to the Permanent Secretary in the Tourism Ministry, a post he himself held.

The Vice President and the Publisher of the Daily Mirror, Ibbo Mandaza, tried to arm twist 17 year-old Nyasha Ndanga into dropping a civil suit against Kaseke in court. The official made the girl pregnant when she was only 15 years old and managed to avoid criminal charges of statutory rape by paying out damages in the form of a bridal price. He had since neglected paying maintenance for the child's upkeep, resulting in the law suit.

Zimbabwe Independent Journalist Shakemen Mugari said the behind the scenes power play reached boiling point when Kaseke allegedly rowed with his boss, Transport Minister Christopher Mushowe, over the botched Air Zimbabwe/Dubai route. In that historical flight a whole Air Zimbabwe plane carried one passenger from Dubai to Harare. Kaseke felt as former boss of the Civil Aviation Authority his background made him more competent than Minister Mushowe in planning such ventures.

It is believed a combination of this clash and the rape scandal made it convenient to shift Kaseke out of the Ministry.