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Fungai Lupande-Mashonaland Central Bureau
A human resources and administration officer in the Department of Social Development and a depot clerk at the Grain Marketing Board in Bindura allegedly stole 30 tonnes of wheat from the drought relief programme.
Zvinaiye Bhunu and Innocent Mundembe were jointly charged with truck driver, Edwin Mazani, when they appeared before Bindura magistrate Mrs Maria Msika.
Prosecutor Mr Carson Kundiona said in February this year, the Government stepped up the food relief programme as a result of the El Nino-induced drought, withdrawing grain from GMB depots for distribution to wards affected by hunger.
Transport company BM Transit Investment was contracted by the Department of Social Development in Bindura to transport grain, and food distribution committees were set up in the drought-stricken wards to ensure accountability.
It is alleged that on August 21 this year, Bhunu generated a grain withdrawal slip at the Department of Social Development and took it to GMB Bindura, and falsely indicated that the grain was going to Ward 5, St Basil’s, in Matepatepa.
The slip was not approved by officials at the department and Bhunu signed it himself.
On August 26, Mundembe released 30,4 tonnes of premium wheat using the dispatch voucher, and the same day Bhunu signed for the grain.
Mazani was supposed to collect the grain with a police officer assigned to escort him to the distribution point, but he lied to the police officer, Gibson Njanji, that the truck had mechanical issues and the delivery could not be made. Officer Njanji was instructed to wait for the truck the following day at Mazowe River Bridge in Bindura District.
Officer Njanji arrived at the meeting spot at 7am the following day and waited until noon, but Mazani did not turn up. GMB officials seized the truck in Ruwa on August 30 for transporting wheat without a licence and further investigations led to the theft charges. The stolen wheat worth US$14,732 was recovered and the three were arrested.
Online Reporter