The ManicaPost
Lovemore Kadzura
Rusape Correspondent
STARTLING revelations have emerged on how four Rusape Town council clerks in the housing and finance departments were allegedly running a criminal syndicate with outsiders to fraudulently change ownership details before selling stands to dupe unsuspecting buyers.
The net is closing in on the four as the local authority last week suspended two housing clerks, Jacob Chiraswa and Maina Muzariri, for three months without benefits, pending hearings over the allegations.
Tendai Museka resigned in a huff when the local authority launched investigations and Collin Nhanga has since joined Mutare Rural District Council.
A report was also lodged at CID Rusape and the case was reportedly transferred to the Commercial Crime Division in Harare.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nobert Muzondo confirmed the development.
“During the period running from January 2022 to June 2022, Tendai Museka (36), Jacob Chiraswa (52), Maina Muzariri (39) and Collin Nhanga (27) who had access to the stand files identified 43 residential stands in Rusape which were not yet developed by their owners. They changed the ownership of the stands into their relatives’ names and then resold them to unsuspecting applicants. They converted the money to their personal use.
“The matter came to light when council received a tip-off in June. Total value defrauded is US$250 000 and nothing was recovered. Investigations are underway and the matter was referred to the Commercial Crimes Division in Harare,” said Inspector Muzondo.
RTC had initially reported the case to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and investigators were dispatched a month ago.
An investigation report prepared by the council’s internal audit department, which The Manica Post has in possession, painted a gloomy picture on the rot in the housing department.
The four clerks had access to run the electronic billing system which is used to manage the local authority’s files.
They used that privilege to tamper with the records.
The quartet were allegedly working with 10 outsiders whose names would be used to fake change of ownership on undeveloped stands before they were sold.
The outsiders are Patience Mataruse, believed to beMuseka’s close relative; a car dealer, Brian Matambo; Russel Rusike; Museka’s mother, Idah Handinawangu Mukwada; Anashe Chapanduka; Takudzwa Chitere; Tendai Mawoneke; Zvinashe Machingambi; Chiraswa’s second wife, Definite Machingura and a cellphone dealer, Tendai Ruswa.
It is alleged that Chiraswa mainly dealt with Matambo, Rusike, Chitere, Ruswa, Mukwada and Mawoneke.
Museka allegedly dealt with Mataruse, Mukwada and Ruswa; while Nhanga dealt with Matambo.
It is believed that the revelations are just a tip of the iceberg as the investigations only covered transactions made between January 2022 and June 2022.
Council chairman, Councillor Blessmore Pambureni confirmed the development and said they are leaving no stone unturned in weeding out corrupt employees.
“On Monday, council reported the matter to CID Rusape and on Tuesday we suspended Chiraswa and Muzariri for three months without benefits. They will be appearing before a disciplinary hearing committee to answer to the allegations. For Museka and Nhanga, they are no longer our employees, so we cannot suspend them,” he said.
According to the investigation report, 34 stands in Silverbow, Crocodile and Magambawere sold fraudulently by the clerks and their accomplices.
The stands had a combined market value of US$303 000.
It also emerged that the quartet would tell prospective stand seekers that council had run out of stands, but they were aware of people selling their stands.
They would then refer the stand seekers to members of their syndicate.
Basing on the report, Museka appears to have been the mastermind of the syndicate as he is featuring prominently on the transactions, while Muzariri only features once.
In one transaction, a stand was illegally changed into four names before being sold to an unsuspecting buyer.
The report reads in part: “On January 4, 2022, Jacob Chiraswa changed a stand in Silverbow suburb from Nelson Chirambadare to Patience Mataruse’s ownership.
The names were changed without (proper)documentation.
The stand changed ownership four times between January and June 2022. No payments were made since 2013, but payments were made on June 23, 2022 to clear everything.
“On January 31, Nhanga and Museka changed the stand into Museka’s mother’s name, Idah Handinawangu Mukwada. On February 2, Museka changed the ownership to Tendai Ruswa.
“Chiraswa, on February 16, then changed it into Thomas Hatidani Mamvura’s name (a buyer),” reads part of the report.
They syndicate used the same trick on all the stands and the buyers would only discover that they had been duped after meeting the real owners of the stands.
