US$2 000 bail for teachers in housing scam

Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
Three Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe housing co-operative committee members yesterday appeared in court on allegations of swindling members of US$500 000. They are accused of misappropriating the money from the co-operative. Martin Maburutse (45), Moffat Katuli (45) and Daniel Chiwandire (41) appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Douglas Chikwekwe and were remanded to February 24 on US$2 000 bail apiece.

They are facing fraud charges.

Prosecutor Ms Sharon Mashavira said Maburutse was the secretary of the TUZ housing project and was also employed as a teacher at Crest Breeders Primary School.

The court heard that Katuli was a TUZ committee member and a teacher at Seke 11 Primary School in Chitungwiza; while Chiwandire is a committee member of the union.

It was said that in 2003, TUZ Zimbabwe formed a housing co-operative called the Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe Ushewokunze Housing Co-operative comprising 518 members.

The co-operative was given land at Saturday Retreat Farm in Harare South by the Local Government Ministry for housing development.
In 2009, a committee comprising the three accused and their alleged accomplices Fibion Mudamburi and Melvin Gwishiri (who have since appeared in court), as well as Sikhonjiwe Govere, Catherine Chiweshe and Kudzai Severa (still at large) was formed to run the affairs of the housing co-operative.

The co-operative opened two FBC Bank accounts in which Maburutse, Mudamburi and Gwisiri were signatories.
It is alleged that from 2009 to 2013 the co-operative members contributed US$763 623,50 for water and sewer reticulation installation, which was deposited into a bank account.

The trio allegedly converted US$563 623,50 to their own use and only US$200 000 was accounted for.
In April 2013, the accused were challenged by housing co-operative members to account for the money but failed leading to their arrest.