Sinokubonga Nkala
Samuel Kadungure in Rusape
KUDZI Chipanga, a Zanu-PF official, yesterday appeared in the Rusape Magistrates’ Court facing charges of stealing Presidential Pfumvudza inputs worth US$11 200 from the Department of Agriculture Research and Extension (Arex) in Makoni District.
He appeared before Rusape regional magistrate, Mrs Barbra Mateko, who remanded him on US$400 bail to January 30 next year.
Chipanga was ordered to reside at his Wakefield Farm in Headlands, and report to the Rusape Rural Police Station every Monday and Friday until the end of his trial, and warned not to interfere with witnesses or investigations.
Mutare lawyer, Mr Chris Ndlovu of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners, represented Chipanga, while Ms Event Dhliwayo prosecuted and did not oppose bail.
When asked by the court to advance her reasons for not opposing bail, Ms Dhliwayo said Chipanga knew there were charges hanging over his neck since November 27, but unlike his accomplices, did not hide from the police and justice. He surrendered himself and cooperated with the police, which meant he did not intend to abscond trial.
She also said Chipanga had furnished the police with a traceable address where he could be ordered to stay at until finalisation of the matter.
It was the State’s case that on November 27, Arex received 200x50kg bags of ZFC Compound D fertilisers, 100x5kg of SC649 seed maize and 500 packets of vegetable seed from the Grain Marketing Board Rusape Depot, which were meant for distribution in Ward 38 in Headlands under the Pfumvudza programme.
The inputs were loaded into a MAN truck driven by Mr Trust Mangwanda, who ferried the inputs to Lawrencedale Primary School, where there was a Zanu-PF star rally.
After the rally, Chipanga and his alleged accomplices, Innocent Magutakuona, Michael Musekiwa and Julius Chipfupa, who are still at large, told Ms Noria Gashu of Arex that they were the ones who would share and distribute the inputs claiming to have sourced the inputs, said the prosecutor.
They started distributing the inputs to the people without Ms Gashu’s consent. During the distribution, commotion broke out among the beneficiaries. Chipanga stopped the distribution of the inputs because of the disorder.
He instructed the other three to escort the truck with the inputs back to the GMB Rusape Depot for safekeeping and for redistribution the following day since it was already dark, said Ms Dhliwayo.
While the truck was on its way back to the depot, Chipanga contacted Ms Gashu and told her to stop the truck at Crofton Shops in Rusape. He followed the truck to Crofton and told his alleged accomplices to offload more inputs which they gave to those who had also followed the truck with their vehicles.
Chipanga and his team escorted the truck to Rusape where they offloaded additional inputs along the Rusape-Nyanga Road which were distributed to people in that area, said Ms Dhliwayo. The team then told the driver Mr Mangwanda to drive to the industrial area and he complied.
Chipanga allegedly escorted the truck to the industrial area near Delta Beverages where they offloaded the remaining inputs, which they loaded into a waiting small truck.
The total value of the alleged stolen property was US$11 200, and nothing was recovered.
mbulelo smpofu
