NSSA employee accused of abuse of office

Nokutenda Chiyangwa Herald Reporter
A National Social Security Authority (NSSA) executive assistant, Tirivavi James Chiuta (35), appeared before a Harare magistrate yesterday charged with criminal abuse of office.

He was granted $1 000 bail and remanded to June 26.

Chiuta was employed by NSSA as the strategic executive assistant to the general manager.

The complainant in the case is the National Building Society (NBS) represented by its managing director, Mr Lameck Danga.

NBS is a subsidiary of NSSA.

Chiuta appeared before magistrate Ms Victoria Mashamba.

Prosecutor Ms Linda Gadzikwa is alleging that in September 2016, NSSA and NBS convened a strategic planning workshop.

The workshop’s resolutions included delivering low-cost housing units countrywide by December 2017.

NSSA was supposed to provide funding for the project.

NBS, through its head of projects, Silas Mukono, conducted road shows countrywide aimed at identifying potential partners in the project.

The building society shortlisted five projects in Masvingo, Bulawayo, Gweru and Beitbridge for funding by NSSA at a cost of $80 991 200.

These projects were supposed to provide 3 491 houses.

The developers were to be ZPH and Hydrabern, Denver Investments, Hunde Trust, Forit and SCZ and Bulawayo City Council.

Chiuta, acting in connivance with Elizabeth Chitiga, who is still at large, allegedly hand-picked five projects in Harare, Mutare, Gweru, Zvishavane and Marondera.

They all had an estimated value of $78 827 500.

The developers were to be N-Frasys in Dzivarasekwa and Zvishavane, Globeny Constructors in Mutare and Gweru, while Tarcon was to work in Marondera.

This was all allegedly done without seeking authority from the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ).

Chiuta allegedly proceeded to direct NBS to implement the five projects.

Chiuta’s five projects allegedly failed to pass the verification process.

N-Frasys (Private) Limited and Globeny Construction Private Limited allegedly had disputes on land ownership and they had to settle the disputes using funding from NBS for $424 426 and $1,5 million, respectively.

The two companies have to date failed to fulfil their contractual obligation and no houses have been delivered to NBS.

Chiuta and Chitiga also allegedly awarded N-Frasys and Globeny Zvishavane projects at a total cost of $31 727 500 without the knowledge of the land owners, thereby exposing public funds to abuse.

Chiuta is said to have acted contrary to his duties as a public officer by showing disfavour to the proposed five NBS projects as he had no right to hand-pick partners without PRAZ’s authority.