Herald Reporter
Two Zanu-PF-linked housing cooperatives in Harare have fleeced over 500 home-seekers of nearly $1 million, an audit commissioned by the revolutionary party has revealed.
The two housing cooperatives, Tushasha and Mukuvisi Tashinga, operated in Msasa.
The report shows that at least 140 stands measuring between 400 to 600 square metres were allocated to more than one person each.
At least 20 people who were duped reported the scam at Hatfield Police Station.
Zanu-PF secretary for Legal Affairs in Harare Province Cde Dan Musukuma, who led the audit team, told The Herald that although the two housing cooperatives had 557 stands, they received money from 610 home-seekers.
An evaluation of work done on the ground revealed that work worth less than $100 000 was covered, despite officials collecting close to $1 million.
Cde Musukuma said the audit report with a raft of remedial recommendations, would soon be presented to the Zanu-PF Harare provincial leadership.
“There is $750 000 which is not being accounted for,” he said.
“The money was deposited through the banks and was received by the cooperatives’ management committees who include Catharine Kudamba as chair, Munetsi Marere (vice chair), Lloyd Mutsipa (secretary) and two other members — Tendai Katsa and Crispen Dzuda.
“The money that was deposited in the bank was withdrawn without any proof of expenditure.
“Another $4 220 which was received in cash by the cooperative is also not accounted for.
“The cooperatives were receiving money and receipting it using fake receipt books,” said Cde Musukuma.
“We also discovered that 610 people paid their subscriptions to the cooperatives, yet there are only 557 stands. There is also the issue of double allocation of stands, and in excess of 140 stands were allocated to more than two or three people each,” he said.
“Our main worry is that more than 20 people who were duped reported the cases at Hatfield Police Station three months ago, but no case has been prosecuted so far.”
Cde Musukuma said the land that was being parcelled out by the cooperatives had been allocated to Zanu-PF through its subordinate organ of Tashinga District in Hatfield.
He said Cde Kudamba and her associates later formed a splinter cooperative and illegally divided the land between two housing cooperatives.
Cde Musukuma said Zanu-PF Harare Province realised the name of the party was being soiled by unscrupulous elements and instituted the audit.
He said the audit of the two cooperatives should be used as a template on other cooperatives linked to the party to weed out corrupt elements.