Chronicle Editor
Midlands Bureau
SUSPENDED Zvishavane town secretary Tinoda Mukutu (53) and two other senior members from management have each been sentenced to two years in prison by Gweru Provincial Magistrate Ms Miriam Banda after they were convicted of criminal abuse of office.
Mukutu was sentenced together with housing director Nhlanhla Ngwenya and town engineer Dominic Mapwashike (both 44).
Ms Banda found the trio guilty of flouting tender procedures after re-awarding a tender to Monitor Enterprises trading as JM Construction after the contractor had failed to fulfil terms and conditions of the first contract.
The court heard that the second contract to JM Construction was awarded without a council resolution. The trio was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and were out on $30 000 bail each. It was the State case that on May 23, 2016, the local authority entered into a partnership with JM Construction for the servicing of 27 extension stands in the Central Business District (CBD) valued at over US$2,7 million.
The contract was terminated after the two-year agreed timeframe lapsed before JM Construction completed the task.
A notice of cancellation of the partnership was served to JM Construction by the local authority’s lawyers Chigariro, Phiri and Partners Legal Practitioners on October 1, 2018. Council did not restart tender procedures, instead on December 17, 2019, the trio clandestinely negotiated and hand-picked JM Construction to continue with the contract without going to tender.
Online Reporter