…former deputy finance minister Chiduwa, wife implicated in Mukau scandals
By Brighton Chiseva
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has set base in Zaka and arrested another Zanu PF heavy weight following a story published by TellZim News, marking the third major arrest in the commission’s ongoing crackdown in the district.
ZACC’s anti-graft drive has led to the arrest of Zanu PF Zaka district Secretary for Women Affairs Confidence Mukau who had to spend a night at Zaka Police Station before being released on bail on October 18.
The commission’s Communications Manager Simiso Mlevu confirmed the arrest on charges of theft as defined in section 113(1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
“I can confirm the arrest of Mukau who was arrested on charges of theft of trust property and she was detained at Zaka Central Police Station,” said Mlevu.
Mukau appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzie on October 18 for initial remand placement and was remanded to October 29.
The state was represented by Nobukhosi Moyo and her conditions were that she deposits USD$100 for the bail, to reside at the given address, not to interfere with witnesses and to report to ZACC offices every two weeks.
Her arrest was a result of a story published by TellZim News last week alleging that she was paid to deliver 20 000 litres of fuel by Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) and delivered only 11 000litres.
State papers indicated that Mukau, was the director and founder of MITMIC Investments (Pvt) Ltd, a company which was located in Jerera, and specialized in the retailing of fuels and oils.
The papers stated that sometime in March 2020, the Government of Zimbabwe under the Devolution Program intended to purchase 10 000litres of diesel for Zaka RDC to use on the rehabilitation of roads.
On another note, a need for another 10 000litres diesel was raised by the technical department for formation of roads in the newly established suburb in Zaka, Jerera called Nyabare Park.
Later that month, requisition to procure 10 000litres was done to facilitate the opening and formation of roads at Nyabare and another 10 000litres diesel required for the roads under devolution programme funds.
MITMIC Investments (Pvt) Ltd represented by the Mukau was awarded the tender to supply the needed 20 000litres of diesel for the two projects.
On 24 March 2020, a total amount of ZW$250 000.00 was paid to the accused for the Nyabare project (10 000litres) and on 25 March 2020, another ZWL$250 000.00 was paid to the accused for fuel for the road rehabilitation project.
The agreement was that Mukau’s company was to store the fuel on behalf of the local authority since it did not have any storage facilities in place and the fuel would be drawn as and when it was needed for the projects until the total sum was drawn out.
The state further alleged that from the 20 000litres entrusted to Mukau’s company, Zaka RDC only withdrew 4664 litres of diesel and when the complainant came to withdraw the remaining 5336 litres under the Nyabare Project the accused failed to deliver the fuel after converting it for personal use.
Zaka RDC also received 5875.98 litres of diesel under the Devolution Project and when the local authority came to claim the balance of 4124.02 litres, the accused again failed to deliver.
Mukau then is alleged to only have delivered 10 539.98litres and converted the remaining 9 460. 02litres to personal use and has since closed business, with the last fuel disbursement being in December 2020.
Several follow ups are alleged to have been made by the local authority in vain and then Member of Parliament Clemence Chiduwa who was then deputy minister of finance allegedly promised to help facilitate the recovery of the fuel since Mukau allegedly belonged to his Zanu PF faction.
Efforts to get a comment from both Chiduwa and his wife Maregedze were futile as their phones went unanswered several times.
Mukau’s arrest seemed to have opened a can of worms as other organizations that were reportedly duped by Mukau started coming forward.
Sources said a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) called Heifer International introduced a development hub at Gumbo Shopping Centre in Zaka which had various developmental projects including two grinding mills. They then reportedly swapped diesel for petrol with Mukau since they could not keep all the diesel in drums and agreed to collect certain amounts as needed.
The deal however failed to suffice after Mukawu’s MITMIC Investments closed down before they had recovered even a single litre from Mukau’s company.
“The donor left litres of diesel and since one of the grinding mills used petrol, Mukau then engaged them and offered to exchange the diesel for petrol but she failed to deliver the petrol after closing down and the project was stalled since then,” said the source.
The hub chairperson Emmanuel Mutomera, who is also a Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee member and believed to be from the same faction as Mukau however dismissed the allegations and said the project was stalled by mismanagement, though he confirmed that Mukau had their fuel which they gave her for safe keeping.
“It’s not true that the hub was stalled by the fuel issue, it’s because the management is just failing to run it. Everything is there as the donor left and I had left the project in the hands of others when I ran for politics and we are now trying to team up and bring it back to life.
“All those are lies to try and tarnish someone’s image. We gave her some fuel for safe keeping since she has storage tanks and anytime we need it we will get it. We signed papers so everything is in place,” said Mutomera.
Other sources said Mukau also abused First Lady Auxcillia Mnangagwa’s donation to Zaka district widows and controlled the management of projects from the donation though she was not a widow.
The widows alleged that they were never told how the goods were distributed, adding that Mukau still has some money from the project despite not being a widow.
“We went to Mashava in January where we were given 165 broiler chicks, 50 Sasso road runner chicks, five bags of chicken feed, 14 cases of sugar, 53 cases of flour, 14 cases of Pepsi drinks and 14 cases of mineral water.
“The goods were sold to councilor Ella Mazorodze and some chickens were kept at Zaka South legislator Clemence Chiduwa and her wife Fungai Maregedze was in charge. The chickens were fed and sold but we do not know where the money went even up to now. We wonder how she was involved in the affairs of widows,” said a widow who spoke anonymously.
Contacted for comment on the First Lady donation, another widow who chaired the project only identified as Mai Chademana, confirmed having received goods and chicken feed and said the project did not go well, especially the chicken project because Mukau who had promised to sell them on the widows’ behalf suddenly backed down.
She also said the chickens which she sold to St Anthony’s High School where she stays were paid in batches which affected purchasing of feed and the next batch of 300 was stunted and they were forced to sell the chickens at half price.
“The first batch was taken to St Anthony by Mukau and the money came in smaller amounts and that affected our second batch because they would go for days without feed. She had promised us that she would sell on our behalf but later pulled out and we were forced to sell the chickens at half price because they were too small at eight weeks.
“She still has the balance but she said the amount was ready now so we can collect anytime,” said Chademana.
Mukau’s arrest has however been met with skepticism, as it has been a pattern for high profile figures to be arrested for corruption and be released in unclear circumstances.
In 2022, ZACC descended on Zaka RDC over misuse of funds and criminal abuse of office after a whistle-blower reported a number of anomalies at the institution that included awarding of tenders without following due process, double allocation of stands among others, but no conviction was made.
On October 2 this year, ZACC arrested Zaka RDC Council chair Fungai Maregedze, who had to spend a night in police cells before being released on bail as her case was remanded to November 5.
Maregedze, who is being charged with criminal abuse of office is said to still be in charge at the local authority despite her court case, which has also raised questions as she is wife to Zaka DDC chair and former deputy Finance Minister Clemence Chiduwa.