Housing director sent on forced leave

Ngoni Dapira
MUTARE City Council housing director, Stenard Mapurisa, was this week sent on forced leave pending investigations in a case where he is embroiled in a stand double allocation scam. Mutare City Council Town Clerk, Mr Obert Muzawazi, confirmed the development on Wednesday. “Mr Mapurisa has been sent on forced leave until our internal investigations are complete. He has not been suspended. Already investigations into the stands matter are in progress,” said Mr Muzawazi.
It is alleged that Mapurisa teamed up with two colleagues Catherine Mbanje and Rophina Nyamangodo and sold a residential stand in Greenside Extension to different people.

The trio appeared in court on August 8 and was remanded out of custody to next Monday on $150 bail each.
It is alleged that the trio sold Stand Number 11859, Greenside Extension, Marymount, to Joseph Nyoni and in so doing, acted contrary to their duties because the stand in question belonged to Stenard’s son, Walter Mapurisa.

They appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Poterai Gwezhira facing criminal abuse of their duty as public officers charges as defined in Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, to which they pleaded not guilty.

State Prosecutor, Mr Brian Goto told the court that on June 17, at the Community Services and Housing Department Moffat Offices in Sakubva, the accused persons, acting in connivance sold the undeveloped stand to Nyoni for $12 000 before they gave him a provisional offer letter.

“What they did was unlawful because Walter also had a provisional offer letter for the same stand, which had been issued to him on November 10, 2014. Upon selling the stand to Nyoni, an Account Number 10118590 was created in Walter’s name. More so they only issued a receipt of $5 000 to Nyoni with the outstanding balance unaccounted for,” said Goto.

It is alleged that towards the end of July, Mapurisa issued a statement of rates to Nyoni which was valued at $4 180-50, purporting it to be official.
The statement demanded payment of the money back dated to June 1, 2015 whereas he had not even purchased the stand then.
When Nyoni sought clarity about the statement, it is alleged that Mapurisa and his team opted to refund him the $12 000.

However, they allegedly sourced Nyoni’s refund by selling the same stand to Rudo Mandimutsira for $15 000, without issuing her any receipts.
Said Mr Goto: “By manipulating Walter’s account, the accused persons acted unlawfully because Walter had not entered into an agreement of sale with either Nyoni or Mandimutsira.”