Former Cottco manager up for stealing presidential inputs

Yeukai Karengezeka

Court Correspondent

The former Cotton Company of Zimbabwe Limited (Cottco) area manager at Mutoko Depot Zinhle Ndhlovu appeared in court yesterday for allegedly stealing 1100 bags of fertiliser under the Presidential Input Programme.
Ndhlovu who was charged with theft of trust property was granted US$200 bail by Harare regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa who also ordered her to return to court on September 30 for routine remand.
The complainant is Cottco represented by Eunice Mupanduki.
Prosecuting, Mr Anesu Chirenje alleged that sometime last year, Ndhlovu who was a custodian of Presidential inputs connived with Praise Makombore, who is the former Business Manager for Mutoko depot and is already on remand, to steal fertiliser meant for distribution to farmers in Mutoko area.
They claimed to have received instructions to order the release of fertiliser for distribution to farmers.
The court heard that on August 23, Ndhlovu instructed Moses Chibanda, a Field Assistant at Kotwa, to release 1170 bags X 50 kgs of Compound L fertilizer from Mutawatawa Transit depot, purporting that she had received the instruction from Makombore.
The fertiliser was then collected by two trucks without completing the necessary documentation.
The trucks delivered the fertiliser to a warehouse close to Murehwa Business Centre where Makombore’s car collected the fertiliser on different occasions to unknown destinations.
Her unlawful actions resulted in Cottco losing 1170 bags x 50kgs of Compound L fertiliser valued at US$42 120.
Nothing was recovered.