TEACHER SWINDLES JOB SEEKERS OF US$8K

A Chipinge teacher who swindled six unemployed youth of US$8 040 promising to get them places to train as nurses has been fired from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

Alex Mahanga (52) who taught at St Peters Primary school in Checheche promised to secure the places at Mashoko Mission Hospital in Bikita

Chipinge Times has in its possession a letter from Manicaland Provincial Education Director Edward Shumba to Mahanga and copied to Public Service Commission and District Schools Inspector informing them that Mahanga had been fired with effect from November 5.

“Please be informed that, the disciplinary authority has considered your case and acting in terms of section 46(1)(b) of the Public Service Regulation,2000 (as amended) found you guilty of defrauding the following people Mr Bothwell Mwanyisa (US$1610), Mr Paul Mahanya (US$1600), Ms Joyce Munaiwa (US$1010), Mr. Onias Mabhoko (US$1210), Mr Daniel Mlambo(US$1000) and Mr Caiphas Mtetwa (US$1610),” reads the letter.

The letter further stated that although Mahanga pleaded not guilty to the allegations during the hearing, overwhelming testimony given by all indicate that he violated the public service laws.

“It was beyond any reasonable doubt that you violated paragraph 13(a) of first schedule 9Section 2) of statutory Instrument 1 of 200 as amended. It was also noted that you were convicted by the courts for the offence,” reads the letter.

Mahanga pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud involving US$9 044 when he appeared before the then Chipinge Magistrate Joshua Nembawarare in March 2020.

The District Public Prosecutor Walter Saunyama told the court that Mahanga connived with two others Joana Mbindi and Patricia Magazine and hatched a plan to steal from the complainants

Mahanga approached the victims on different dates and told them his accomplices were responsible for recruiting student nurses at Mashoko Mission Hospital.

He would then request the job seekers to give him application letters with all the necessary documents in order to process the required paperwork.

Mahanga on another date also in Chipinge met the complainants and told them that their relatives’ applications had been accepted and they were supposed to pay tuition, administration and accommodation fees to an Ecocash number which he supplied to them.

On different occasions, the job seekers would deposit money into Mahanga’s Ecocash number.

Nembawarare suspended six months of the jail sentence on condition that he pays a $2 000 fine and another six months were suspended on condition he restitutes US$ 9 044 to the complainants. Masvingo Mirror

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