A deputy director in the Ministry of Women Affairs,
Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development on Saturday appeared before
a Chipinge magistrate facing charges of stealing Cyclone Idai donations worth
$3 000.
The accused, Christine Chideme (63), of Southerton, Harare,
appeared before resident magistrate Mr Farai Gwitima, who denied her bail and
remanded the matter to tomorrow for trial.
She pleaded not guilty. Prosecuting, Mr Themba Dhliwayo
told the court that on April 3 at around 7pm, Chideme, who was driving a Toyota
Landcruiser (WAG-CD23), was stopped by Terrence Majonga, a soldier, while she
was coming from Silver Stream Cyclone Idai command centre, between Chipinge and
Chimanimani.
She was searched and her vehicle was found with an assortment
of goods donated to the victims of the cyclone.
Last Thursday police officer Constable Edward Dhumukwa (32)
stationed at the Silver Stream command centre was arrested and appeared in
court for alleged looting of donations valued at tens of thousands of United
States dollars earmarked for cyclone victims in Chipinge.
Dhumukwa allegedly hired a kombi to ferry his loot from for
about five kilometres to a roadside where he loaded it into a Harare-bound bus.
Investigators allegedly recovered two red and black large
bags with 20x400g washing paste, 10x400g spaghetti, 5kg kapenta, 4x2kg washing
powder, 20x500g sugar beans, 20x2kg white sugar, 1x3kg washing powder, 4x2kg
washing powder, 4x2kg 2 in 1 Sunlight washing powder, 6x6x400g packs of
candles, 10x500g Mega Rice, 6x2kg Mariana Rice, 1x2kg Excella Rice, 2x2kg Red
Seal Rice, 1x2kg Probrand Rice, 1x2kg Ideal Rice, 2x12x375ml Dovi (Mama), 4x1kg
Iodised Red Seal salt, 1x1kg Probrand salt, 1x1kg Mega iodised salt, 1x1kg
Royal salt, 10 double blade shaving machine, Smooth Air clinic set, 2x12x2l
Zimgold cooking oil, 10x2kg Probrand Rice, 12 Meiban tissues, 1 khaki short, 4
white drying towels, 52 assorted pairs of ladies’ shoes and eight blankets.
S7 Jackets, 26 pairs assorted female shoes, 16x200g tablets
FA bathing soap, 3 x tins dark brown shoe polish, 2 jerseys, 12 T-shirts
(mixed), 1 pair of shorts, 2 ladies’ jackets, 1 checked blouse, 1 grey striped
tie, 1 black cap, 1x250ml Vaseline Blue Seal, 5x100ml Vaseline bottles, 1 shoe
brush, 1x50ml Colgate, 1x375ml Dovi.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga last week said
officials implicated in abuse of Cyclone Idai donations must face lengthy
jail terms.
Cde Chiwenga said this while addressing a crowd gathered at
Chipinge District Hospital last Wednesday where he was assessing the progress
in Government relief intervention in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
He said those implicated in abuse of donations must not be
granted bail during court processes.
“I want to warn civil servants, workers in different organisations
and all those involved in distribution of goods donated to victims of Cyclone
Idai that if implicated, they will go to jail straight without any
consideration for bail whatsoever.
“We are not joking about this. Surely, you cannot deprive
that old man I just saw in the male ward who lost his entire family during the
cyclone simply because you want to fatten your pocket,” said Cde Chiwenga. Herald
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