Published by the government of Zimbabwe
6 January 2009
Harare — Seke-CHIKOMBA Senator Gladys Mabhiza allegedly connived with a Dema councillor and fraudulently diverted to the illegal parallel market 30 tonnes of fertilizer that was meant for approved farmers under the Government's Operation Maguta.
Mabhiza and Masimba Ribatika, who also runs Ribatika Investments at Dema Growth point, allegedly forged an application for inputs using details of a local farmer without his consent and collected 20 tonnes of Compound D and 10 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
They took the fertilizer to a house in Waterfalls where they sold it for US$50 per 50kg bag, a Harare magistrates' court heard yesterday.
The two were not asked to plead to fraud when they were arraigned before magistrate Mr Archie Wochiunga, who remanded them out of custody to January 16 on $50 billion bail apiece.
They should continue residing at their given addresses until the matter is finalised and are to report once every Friday at Makoni Police Station in Chitungwiza.
Mr Wochiunga barred them from visiting Bak Storage in Workington and interfering with investigations and State witnesses.
The State, led by prosecutor Mr Allan Masiya, alleges that in October last year, Mabhiza applied for fertilizer using the name Albion Farm in Seke that is owned by Mr Mutami Zishiri without his consent.
Mabhiza allegedly tendered the false documents to Operation Maguta officials at Bak Storage before they released 30 tonnes of fertilizer to her.
The State alleges that Mabhiza instructed Ribatika to collect the fertilizer and diverted it to Waterfalls for sale on the parallel market.
Ribatika sold 208 bags of fertilizer at US$50 per bag before he received another 160 bags, which he converted to his personal use, the court heard.
It is the State's contention that the two shared part of the proceeds and Mabhiza got US$1 200.
On December 31, Anti-Corruption Commission officers, acting on a tip-off, raided the Waterfalls house and recovered the remaining 32 bags of Compound D fertilizer.
It was the Anti-Corruption Commission's finding that the fertilizer never reached Albion Farm and that the farm was actually owned by Mr Zishiri, who was not even aware of the deal.
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