A clerk at Highfield Farm in Norton, which is part of Gushungo Holdings owned by the family of the late President Robert Mugabe, has appeared in court on allegations of stealing farm equipment, including a wheel mounted water pump, metal cold room, cultivator frame, pivot and irrigation pipes all worth more than US$100 000.
Gerald Mupatsi was yesterday not asked to plead to the
charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi charged
with theft.
According to the State, Mupatsi was responsible for
receiving goods into the stores through completion of goods received and
issuing out goods through completion of goods out notes on the back of
supporting documents.
It is alleged that Mupatsi then stole a combine harvester
head trailer at John O’ Groats workshop, Highfield Farm and sold it to Mark
Deza of Capensis Farm, Norton for US$1 400.
The court heard that the price, which Mupatsi sold the
trailer for was below the reserve price of US$3 500, which was pegged during an
auction held in February 2022.
On April 19, 2022, Mupatsi, acting in connivance with Jabulani
Dumbura, who has already appeared in court on similar allegations, sold the
trailer and failed to receipt the transaction in the company receipt book, as
per normal procedure.
Instead, the duo allegedly recorded the sale transaction on
Goods Out Receipt number 05459, which resulted in the said head trailer being
driven out of the farm the following day.
Gushungo Holdings was prejudiced of US$3 500.
The court also heard that on April 28, Mupatsi and Dumbura
allegedly stole a wheel mounted water pump, Lot 58 8 after instructing farm
workers to remove it from the auction yard.
They allegedly took it to one Mutanga of Damofalls.
They also allegedly issued a Goods Out Note number 05463,
which purported that the pump was going for repairs, although the pump was not
faulty.
The pump was worth US$35 000, according to the State.
Mupatsi and Dumbura are also alleged to have teamed up with
Farai Jemwa, who is still at large, and stole a metal cold room, cultivator
frame, pivot pipes, irrigation, pipes and other components of centre pivot from
Highfield Farm and sold them to one Choto, James and Mumanyi.
The items were valued at US$70 000, according to the State.
The offences came to light when Collins Matongo, a police
officer working for the Mugabe family, made a visit to the farm on May 16, 2022
and found the items missing. Herald
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