HARARE – Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s has been rapped over the knuckles after he was forced to reverse his controversial appointment of the variously-named Gerald William Mutumanje as the ministry’s communications chief.

Ncube named the motormouth social media star as chairman of a Communications Taskforce in the Finance Ministry on October 19. Other members of the taskforce were not revealed.

Mutumanje, who also calls himself Acie Lumumba, swung into action, making controversial claims on Twitter and Facebook.

On Sunday, he went on Facebook Live and accused Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe directors of making Ncube’s life “impossible”. He further claimed a powerful “fuel cartel” was holding the country at ransom, while demanding the scrapping of import restrictions.

The central bank announced on Monday that it had indefinitely suspended four directors accused by Mutumanje in what appeared a choreographed move, but Ncube’s political bosses were beside themselves with indignation, in particular Vice President Constantino Chiwenga as well as Zanu PF officials at the party’s headquarters accused by Mutumanje of being “captured” after taking gifts without question.

But just as the RBZ directors were being sent home, Mutumanje was also being given his marching orders.

In a brief statement, the Ministry of Information said: “Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube would like to inform the public that he doesn’t have a spokesperson outside institutions of government.

“Regarding the ‘Communications Taskforce’, he is yet to operationalise it as he is dealing with requirements of PRAZ (Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe) and the Civil Service Commission.”

Sources said the stunning about turn came after Ncube came under sustained pressure from various quarters, with Chiwenga – who is on sick leave – telling the minister to “shut down” his one-man taskforce, which he said was a parallel structure to the government, according to official sources.

The anger from Chiwenga and Zanu PF stems from Mutumanje’s attack on Command Agriculture, and one of the programme’s key sponsors, Sakunda Supplies, whose directors the communications tzar accused of running a fuel cartel.

The leader of this cartel, whom Mutumanje identified only as ‘Queen B’, widely believed to be Kuda Tagwirei, the CEO of Trafigura Zimbabwe, is a close associate of Chiwenga. Only on Sunday, Tagwirei was at the Vice President’s rural home in Wedza for a “thanksgiving mass”.

Mutumanje fired a broadside at the Ministry of Information, after his short-lived reign became public.

“Many senior government officials spent their day making calls and sending orders for and on behalf of Queen B, lots of money paid. The capture goes high,” Mutumanje snapped on Twitter.

He added: “One ministry (except its minister) is so captured the only thing it updated the country on today was ME. Do your job, let me do mine.”