Justin Mupamhanga Biography | Children, Second Chimurenga Contribution, Career, ZESA Bill Debt
This is the biography of Justin Mupamhanga a retired Zimbabwean civil servant who served as the Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet.
Children
While the exact number of his children is unknown, Justin Mupamhanga has two sons, Kudakwashe and Kudzanayi, who were involved in a legal dispute in January 2021. They were taken to court for allegedly destroying at least eight hectares of maize belonging to their neighbour, Soul Gomwe, in a farm boundary dispute in Mashonaland Central province.
Contribution to the Second Chimurenga
Mupamhanga left university in 1975 to join Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, known as the Second Chimurenga. During this period, he held several important positions in ZANU and ZANLA’s commissariat and education departments.
Career
Mupamhanga began his civil service career on March 1, 1983, in the Economics Division of the President’s Department. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the head of the division in 1992 and later serving as Deputy Director of External Intelligence.
In 1994, he was posted to London, England, as Minister Counsellor but was recalled four years later to transform the Economics Division into what is now known as the Economics Branch. His role included creating connections between the branch and various economic stakeholders in the country.
During a period of drought affecting much of Southern Africa, Mupamhanga’s responsibilities expanded to include ensuring food security. He worked with security forces and senior civil servants to import maize and prevent hunger. He was part of a task force that included Air Force Commander Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, Major-General Amoth Chingombe, and Ngoni Masoka, Secretary for Agriculture at the time. He undertook a similar assignment in 2001/2002.
Mupamhanga was later appointed Secretary for Energy and Power Development. During his tenure, he recommended the liberalization of the fuel industry to the Cabinet, which led to an easing of fuel shortages and increased participation by indigenous businesses. He also played a key role in restructuring the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe and the power utility ZESA into self-contained business units. Additionally, he introduced the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority.
In 2012, Mupamhanga was appointed Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, where he was responsible for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of government programs and projects. One of his notable assignments was overseeing Command Agriculture under the guidance of Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda. Mupamhanga retired in November 2019 after 36 years of service in the government.
After his retirement, Justin Mupamhanga served as chairman of Kuvimba Mining House.
Electricity Bill Debt
In June 2019, Mupamhanga faced legal action from the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) over an outstanding power debt of US$152,650 for electricity supplied to his Argyle Park Farm in Bindura. The power utility, represented by Chihambakwe, Mutizwa, and Partners, petitioned the High Court for payment of the outstanding amount.
According to court documents, Mupamhanga allegedly failed to settle the debts associated with his electricity accounts (account numbers 2203880, 2286327, 2286331, and 2286332), prompting ZETDC to seek legal recourse. Despite several demand letters, Mupamhanga, who was serving as Deputy Chief Secretary during former President Robert Mugabe’s administration, did not take action to settle the debt.
