President Emmerson Mnangagwa fired Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira on Thursday, a statement from Zimbabwe’s presidency said, after she was detained over the disappearance of millions of dollars during her time as welfare minister.
Prisca Mupfumira is facing seven corruption charges linked to $94 million missing from the country’s pension fund.
She was “removed… from the office of cabinet Minister and Minister of government with immediate effect”, the statement said, without giving further details.
Mupfumira was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission in July, becoming the first sitting Minister of the ruling ZANU-PF party to be jailed for graft under Mnangagwa’s new administration.
Mupfumira was sacked as Social Welfare Minister by ex-President Robert Mugabe weeks before a military-led coup that toppled the long-time ruler in November 2017.
After the coup, she was re-appointed with a new portfolio.
Mnangagwa has identified endemic corruption as a major contributor to the country’s economic woes and vowed to root it out.
