A KAROI village head and his secretary have been arrested over theft of Pfumvudza agricultural scheme inputs by including the names of dead people on the list of beneficiaries.
Reuben Muza, 45, and Shepherd Mudhochi, 49, were arrested
after police received a tip-off. The two would allegedly allocate the inputs of
the dead people to themselves. The inputs, which included fertilisers and seed,
were recovered.
“Police in Karoi have nabbed two men for fraud involving
Pfumvudza inputs at St Michele Farm.
“A village head and secretary connived to obtain agricultural
inputs on behalf of 96 villagers, including the dead, from the Grain Marketing
Board (GMB). They had been tasked to compile the list of beneficiaries.
“The duo then stole the agricultural inputs, which include
Compound D fertiliser, ammonium nitrate, soya bean seed and maize seed.
“Six bags of compound D and six bags of ammonium nitrate
were recovered from where they had been hidden,” police national spokesperson
Paul Nyathi said yesterday.
Pfumvudza is a climate-proofed agriculture scheme launched
by the government earlier in March this year in a bid to ensure food security
at household level.
It is a crop production intensification approach under
which farmers ensure the efficient use of resources, inputs and labour, on a
small area of land to optimise its management.
Over the years, there have been many accusations against
chiefs, headmen and other traditional leaders for monopolising and abusing such
government schemes by withholding inputs from beneficiaries along political
lines.
Meanwhile, the police also said six security guards at GMB
in Mhangura were on Sunday arrested on allegations of theft of inputs.
Police said investigations into were in progress. Daily News
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