HARARE – The corruption trial of former health minister David Parirenyatwa was put on ice on Monday, a court heard at the request of Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi.

Prosecutor Brian Vito of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit said Hodzi ordered that the trial be stopped, without providing further clarity.

“We are applying for a two-week postponement of this matter. The reason is that the Prosecutor General has ordered that this trial be halted for the meantime,” said Vito.

Harare senior regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya postponed the matter to August 19.

Parirenyatwa was arrested in September last year and charged with criminal abuse of office for allegedly directing National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) to hire his relative as managing director while overseeing the health ministry.

A month later, however, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that Partirenyatwa and other former ministers who missed out on Cabinet appointments had been seconded to his Zanu PF party’s headquarters as head of departments. Parirenyatwa heads the health department.

The charges against Parirenyatwa, which he denies, arose after Newman Madzikwa was named NatPharm managing director.

Parirenyatwa, according to prosecutors, directed NatPharm board chairman George Washaya to terminate Flora Nancy Sifeku’s contract with the state drugs procurement body and replace her with Madzikwa.

Parirenyatwa’s trial commenced in February.

Washaya, the state’s key witness, exonerated Parirenyatwa saying he never interfered with his duties.

Washaya disowned the statement he gave to the police and defended Parirenyatwa, describing him as “the best minister ever.”

Washaya also told court that Madzikwa was a blessing to NatPharm, claiming he improved their performance. He maintained that Sifeku, who had been with NatPharm for 12 years, was too old and incompetent.

Vito successfully applied for Washaya’s impeachment for disowning his police statement and siding with the former health minister.

NatPharm’s human resources manager Walter Nhau also supported Parirenyatwa, saying he was justified to remove Sifeku from her managing director’s post as she had developed a propensity to harass employees.