Candidate squanders co-operative funds to sponsor campaign

Midlands Correspondent
Members of Amaveni Housing Co-operative in Kwekwe are up in arms with their chairperson, Mrs Dadirai Mapfumo, after she allegedly squandered about $36 000 co-operative funds on a failed political campaign. Mrs Mapfumo, the losing MDC-T candidate for Kwekwe’s Ward 8, reportedly used the money to sponsor her campaign in the run up to 31 July harmonised elections. She is now allegedly failing to reimburse the co-operative.

The co-operative’s vice-secretary, Mr Patrick Chinyere, said  they have since reported the matter to the police after Mrs Mapfumo failed to account for the money.

“Mrs Mapfumo used the co-operative funds to campaign in Kwekwe’s Ward 8 but went on to lose the council elections. She is now failing to pay back the cooperative funds she used to sponsor her campaign.

“We went on to report the matter to the police after she tried to influence  our cooperative treasurer, Mr Japhet Kudirunga, to alter some of the receipts to appear as if there were no missing funds,” he said.

Mr Chinyere said Mrs Mapumo was, however, using her political muscle to try and have the case swept under the carpet.
He claimed that Mrs Mapfumo was politically connected and was still walking free despite having been reported to the police.

“She was only taken to court early this month by way of summons and until now nothing has been said about the matter. We feel very short changed because $36 000 is a lot of money and she should account for that money,” he said.

Mrs Mapfumo denied having used the cooperative money to sponsor her losing campaign.
She said all the co-operative money was accounted for and accused Mr Chinyere of dragging her name through the mud.

“Mr Chinyere has been fighting me for some time now for reasons best known to him. I was cleared by the police after they found no evidence to the allegations that I squandered the cooperative funds.

“After realising that his case crumbled at the hands of the police, he now wants to take his fight to the press. I will take legal action against him,” she said.