Senior executives at the government-owned National Handling Services (NHS) have been placed on forced leave amid serious allegations of corruption, incompetence, and corporate governance failures.
Sources say the NHS, which handles critical services at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, has lost millions of dollars due to mismanagement at the top levels.
The executives suspended include CEO Godknows Maravanyika, Chief Financial Officer Question Maisera, and Head of Human Resources Shamiso Nyangairi. They face accusations ranging from fraud to misappropriation of company resources, according to insiders.
While NHS Board Chair Godwin Nyengedza confirmed the executives had been asked to step down temporarily, he denied the notion of suspension, instead framing it as a "leave of absence." "The Board merely asked certain members of the Executive team to go on leave with full benefits. This is a live matter, and I can't comment much more at this stage. If there's an update, we will communicate it to the public," Nyengedza told 263Chat.
Despite the official line, sources within NHS say the company is in disarray. Employees have reportedly voiced frustrations about being underpaid and overworked. A recent internal report highlighted chronic delays in paying overtime wages, and many workers, including graduate trainees, are said to be earning meagre salaries--some as low as USD 60 per month.
One source cited a troubling incident last year, when a truckload of cement meant for NHS arrived at the airport, only to be rerouted under suspicious circumstances. "They pretended the cement was for NHS, but the management wasn't even aware where it was supposed to go," the source said.
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Adding to the turmoil is the disparity between the company's financial reports and the reality on the ground. According to last year's annual report, NHS made a profit of $18.2 million. Yet, employees claim the company is struggling to meet basic operational costs, let alone provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers carrying out hazardous tasks.
NHS handles approximately 98% of the airlines that land at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, but insiders claim a large portion of its revenue has been diverted toward management's personal interests. "The top management are living lavishly while workers are suffering. They buy themselves luxury vehicles while our uniforms are falling apart," said one disgruntled employee.
Efforts to address the plight of the workers have so far fallen on deaf ears, as some claim the board remains disconnected from the day-to-day realities faced by those on the ground. Several employees have called for a full investigation, urging the government to intervene before the company collapses under the weight of internal corruption.
Amid these tensions, CEO Maravanyika has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he and his colleagues were given no concrete reasons for their suspension. "We were just told not to report for duty. No valid reasons were provided," Maravanyika said.
