The ManicaPost
Tanyaradzwa Mujati and Panashe Christmas
GOVERNMENT’S undertaking to heavily descend on all those abusing Presidential lnputs Schemes has resulted in the quick arrest and prosecution of five security guards who recently stole Pfumvudza inputs worth $1,7 million at the Grain Marketing Board’s Mutare Depot.
The arrest of the five led to the recovery of inputs worth $1 749 000.
Innocent Bhondayi (27), Whickway Makocho (36), Dakarai Simango (41), Takesure Mushambi (55) and Banwell Mhlanga (40) were convicted on their own guilty pleas when they appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Langton Carter.
They were charged with theft as defined in Section 113 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
They were each ordered to fork out $15 300 as restitution of the stolen inputs and to perform 280 hours of community service.
Ms Loice Kadenha prosecuted and said on October 24, Bhondayi, Makocho, Simango, Mushambi and Mhlanga stole 56x50kg bags of Compound D fertiliser and 5x10kgs bags of seed maize from the Grain Marketing Board’s Mutare Depot.
“The theft was discovered by GMB’s supply chain manager, Mr Collen Meki the following day when he carried out routine checks of physical stocks.
He noticed that the stack which contained the Compound D fertiliser had been tampered with.
“This prompted him to carry out a stock take in the company of the depot supervisor, Mr Allen Makumba and stack builder, Mr Enock Pafiwa. They discovered that 56x50kgs bags of Compound D fertiliser and 5x10kgs of maize seed were missing,” said Ms Kadenha.
They reported the matter to the police and members of the Criminal Investigations Department attended the scene and arrested three of the guards who had been on duty the previous night.
Upon interrogations, the three implicated their two accomplices and these were also arrested.
Meanwhile, a Nyanga man, Evans Kamombo (57), was arrested for stealing and selling Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Ambassador Anslem Sanyatwe’s fertiliser worth US$44 075.
Kamombo pleaded not guilty when he recently appeared before Mr Carter.
He was granted $20 000 bail and was remanded to November 16.
It is alleged that Kamombo stole 469x50kgs of Ammonium Nitrate and 509x50kgs of Compound D fertiliser and sold it to hardware shops in Nyanga.
Prosecuting, Mr Thurston Mubvumbi said sometime in December 2021, Ambassador Sanyatwe who has a farm in Nyanga received a consignment of 640x50kgs of Ammonium Nitrate and 560x50kgs of Compound D fertiliser.
He assigned Kamombo to keep it safe.
“During the same month, Ambassador Sanyatwe instructed Kamombo to use 171x50kgs of Ammonium Nitrate and 51x50kgs of Compound D fertiliser at his farm. However, Kamombo took some of the fertiliser and sold it to several hardware shops in Nyanga.
“When Ambassador Sanyatwe came back in August and conducted a stock take, he discovered that 469x50kgs of Ammonium Nitrate and 509x50kgs of Compound D were missing.
“He confronted Kamombo but the suspect failed to give a convincing explanation of what had happened to the fertiliser. A report was made to the police, leading to his arrest,” said Mr Mubvumbi.
Fertiliser valued at US$44 075 was stolen and nothing was recovered.
