Victor Mapani’s Shameless Reign of Nepotism at ZESCO Continues
By Daimone Siulapwa
As discontent brews within the ranks of ZESCO employees, the revelations of rampant nepotism within the organization have sent shockwaves through the corridors of power.
More shocking revelations now expose the extent to which the nepotism rot has reached and at the heart of this rot stands Victor Mapani, the Managing Director, whose shameless alleged gross nepotism has transformed the company into a family affair.
The audacity of Mapani’s nepotistic maneuvers is staggering.
Firstly, elevating himself from MO1 to MO0 smacks of arrogance and entitlement, while simultaneously demoting the principles of meritocracy and fairness to mere footnotes in ZESCO’s history.
But it is not just Mapani who has embraced this culture of favoritism; his kin have also found their way into the ZESCO fold.
His daughter, Beenzu Mapani, just recently enjoyed a swift ascent from ML6 to ML5, translating into a gross salary of around K38,000 per month, courtesy of her father’s influence.
Meanwhile, Makoye Mapani, his son, has been employed in the position of Principal Engineer at Kafue Gorge Lower, entering at a higher grade of ML5 while many senior engineers with over 10 years experience still languish at ML6 and they now report to him.
The nepotism web extends further, allegedly ensnaring Mapani’s sister in the call center, a niece in the ESU, and to add insult to injury, his sister-in-law conveniently assumes the mantle of Director of Finance.
This cronyism is a slap in the face to every hardworking ZESCO employee who dreams of advancement based on merit, not familial connections.
But Mapani’s nepotism knows no bounds; he has also welcomed a cadre of cronies into the fold, appointing them to lucrative positions at the expense of more qualified candidates.
The new positions of department heads and Deputy Directors were non existent at ZESCO but were created specifically for friends and family members (story for another day)
The stench of corruption hangs heavy in the air as ZESCO becomes a breeding ground for incompetence and cronyism.
The time for complacency is over. As patriotic citizens, we demand action.
Mapani must be held to account for his egregious abuse of power, and the board of ZESCO must act swiftly and decisively to root out the cancer of nepotism that threatens to consume this institution from within, unless they are partaking in the forbidden fruit.
We call upon the board to demand for Mapani to immediately step-down pending a thorough investigation into his nepotistic practices.
The people of Zambia deserve better than this flagrant betrayal of trust.
It is time to reclaim ZESCO as a beacon of integrity and meritocracy, where hard work and dedication are rewarded, not sidelined in favor of nepotistic cronyism.
The fear and intimidation tactics employed to silence dissent within ZESCO’s ranks are reprehensible.
No employee should live in fear of retribution for speaking out against injustice.
It is time for the voices of the silenced to be heard, for the truth to be brought to light, and for justice to prevail.
Let this be a rallying cry for change. Let us stand united against the scourge of nepotism, for the sake of ZESCO, for the sake of Zambia, and for the sake of future generations who deserve a fair and just society. The time for action is now.
Daimone Siulapwa is a political analyst, an advocate for tribal unity, and Citizen Economic Empowerment.