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Senior Court Reporter
Jailed former Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye has been given an extra two months to raise the whole of the US$10 000 she must pay back to avoid eight months in jail.
Yesterday she approached the court, from her prison cell, seeking a two-month extension and she now has until the end of October to find the cash.
Kagonye was sentenced in June this year to 36 months after being convicted of stealing 20 laptops meant to benefit schools in Goromonzi South constituency through the national e-learning scheme.
But Harare regional magistrate Mrs Vongai Guwuriro suspended 12 months on condition of good behaviour, and another eight months on condition that she pays US$10 000 equivalent by August 31 for the 20 laptops that she stole.
If she manages to find the US$10 000 equivalent she will serve just 16 months, and is at present serving these.
Through her lawyer Mr Rungano Mahuni, Kagonye told the court that she had not had time to put in place funds to pay the restitution since her incarceration.
“The main reason is that applicant has not had time to put in place funds to pay what the court ordered and she made as an application for bail pending appeal at the High Court and the ruling was reserved. Two months later, it is still reserved and she has not been able to know her fate with regard to the bail,” he said.
Mrs Guwuriro granted the application and extended the time to pay to October 31. The laptops had been donated by the then Minister of Information Communication and Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Supa Mandiwanzira, through the e-learning project targeted to benefit schools in Goromonzi South Constituency.
Officials from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe made follow-ups on the donation and Kagonye failed to account for the computers, leading to her arrest.
Online Reporter