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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
Six more Harare City Council bigwigs yesterday appeared in court for siphoning $200 000 from Harare Municipality Medical Aid Society (HMMAS) by awarding themselves hefty allowances. The amounts ranged from $5 000 to $20 000, which was contrary to council regulations. Zacharia Stanford Murerwa (56) who is both a board member and consultant to (HMMAS), Martin Mugwagwa (79) who is former assistant director in the City Health Services, Stewart Nyandoro (45) who is the vice president of Harare Water and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe, Godfrey Kusangaya (56), accountant for Harare Water, Saviours Makuni (45), Workers’ Union chairperson for Harare Water/Rufaro Marketing and Daniel Mutiwadirwa (45), chief executive for Rufaro Marketing were charged with criminal abuse of duty as public officers when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo. They were granted $500 each.
As part of their bail conditions, the six were ordered to reside at their given addresses and not to interfere with State witnesses. Allegations are that during the period extending from January 2015 to December 4, the six, in connivance with other board members Shasekant Jogi, Panganai Charumbira and Prosper Chonzi who are already on remand and 15 others still at large muted an idea to siphon money from Harare Municipality Medical Aid Society by awarding themselves amounts ranging from $5 000 to 20 000 contrary to City of Harare regulations.
The court heard that Murerwa got $10 000, Mugwagwa $5 000, Nyandoro $15 000, Kusangaya $15 000, Makuni $10 000 and the other 12 board members were paid a cumulative figure of $150 000.
It is alleged that as a result council suffered an actual prejudice of $200 000 and nothing was recovered.
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