adminZvikomborero Parafini
TOBACCO Industry Marketing Board chief executive, Meanwhile Gudu, yesterday appeared in court facing multiple criminal abuse of office allegations.
Gudu was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere.
On the first count, Gudu appeared with his head of human capital and administration, Tsitsi Murahwa.
The court heard that on October 17 last year, TIMB ran an advert in a local newspaper for a Human Capital Partner – Talent and Organisational Development post.
The prerequisite qualification for the post was an undergraduate degree in either Human Resources Management or Psychology, backed with three to five years relevant working experience, with a qualification in human resource development/training/organisational development as a distinct advantage.
The court heard that 129 candidates applied for the post.
It is alleged that Murahwa shortlisted six candidates, including one Dorcas Bhebhe, who did not have a degree in Human Resources Management or Psychology.
A committee comprising three panellists was set up to interview the six shortlisted candidates and they recommended Bhebhe for the post.
This was despite the fact that she did not have a degree in either Human Resources Management or Psychology.
After the interviews, Bhebhe and Walter Rambwi were sent for psychometric tests, conducted by IPC, a company where Bhebhe was previously employed.
Again, Bhebhe was rated better than Rambwi.
On December 23 last year, Bhebhe was appointed to the position, and the notice of appointment was signed by Gudu and Murahwa.
The State alleges this was not consistent with their duties as public officers, as they showed favour to Bhebhe.
In the second count, Gudu appeared together with Stuart Shanyika and Andrew Matibiri, and they were released on $200 000 bail each.
The court heard that in 2018, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced a Tobacco Financing facility.
It was aimed at supporting small scale tobacco farmers with farming inputs, and working capital, in a bid to improve tobacco productivity, ensure viable production of Flue Cured Virginia Tobacco of export quality and to increase the size of the national crop.
On September 10, 2018, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) was signed between RBZ, as funder of the facility, Agribank (now AFC Commercial Bank) as the RBZ agent, and TIMB, as the borrower.
TIMB was to procure inputs, provide funds for capital expenditure and disburse the inputs to small scale tobacco farmers.
RBZ released a total of US$86 800 000 into Agribank for financing the Facility Tobacco Inputs Credit Scheme.
The court heard that the trio, working in connivance, entered into agreements with four contractors – Bigway Leaf Tobacco, Ethical Leaf Tobacco, Central Leaf Tobacco and Bindura Tobacco.
The agreements were entered into by the trio and the four companies were picked out of a total of 27 contractors in the tobacco industry.
It is alleged the agreements were corruptly designed to support the four contractors with inputs from the RBZ-funded scheme for on-lending to their contracted tobacco growers.
The court heard that the four contractors got inputs for free, to lend to their contracted farmers, at an interest and bought the tobacco from the farmers, as if they had funded the farmers.
Online Reporter