Martin Muleya
CHIPINGE TIMES REPORTER

MUTARE-Provincial Magistrate Richard Ramaboa has granted three Mutare Teachers’ College staffers ZWL$100 000 bail each for allegedly diverting ZWL$3. 6 million. The money was supposed to be used to construct a college Baobab fruit pulp manufacturing plant.
Njabuliso Ncube (37), a lecturer, Abison Mutubuki (56), an accounting officer and Alfred Gotore (62) are facing theft of trusted property charges, and they will be back in court on May 11, 2023.
Prosecutor Joice Tinarwo told the court that the three diverted money deposited into the college’s bank account for personal reasons.
The college submitted a project proposal for the Baobab fruit pulp plant to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development in February 2020.
The Ministry approved the project and requested the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) to release ZWL$13 248 230 for initial construction works on the manufacturing plant.
Ncube was responsible for the Baobab fruit pulp project and a buyer for the college. He produced requisitions for the purchase of the construction material.
Mutubuki allegedly ordered the college’s accountant to transfer the funds to a personal account. The three insisted they wanted cash for the procurement against college and public finance handling rules.
They then obtained cash from payments made to the College through ZimSwitch from the personal account. They did not buy construction materials and diverted the funds to personal use.
They are represented by Chris Ndlovu of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners, Justine Fusire of Mupindu Legal Practitioners, David Tandiri of Tandiri Law Chambers and Nicolas Nhambura of Mugadza Chinzamba and Partners.