Ellen Mlambo

MIRROR REPORTER

MASVINGO–Some teachers and civil servants who paid subscriptions to buy stands from the National Housing Delivery Trust (NHDT) in 2012 are desperate to get to the organisation after its directors allegedly disappeared with thousands of United States dollars of their money.

The affected civil servants said the offices of the organisation disappeared and the directors can no longer be located and stands were not delivered.

One of the cited NHDT directors is Goromonzi West MP and aspiring Bikita South MP, Energy Mutodi who was the chairperson. Mutodi however, told The Mirror that he left the organisation and no longer has anything to do with it.

He referred The Mirror to Tendai Hangazha whom he said is now the owner of the organisation. Mutodi gave The Mirror Hangazha’s number but repeated efforts to get through to the number were futile as the number was either on voicemail or went unanswered.

“I left that company in 2011. I was the chairperson, but I no longer work for it. As you are aware I am a Member of Parliament and therefore am not allowed to partake in such. The director of that company is Tendai Hangadya. You can contact the person,” said Mutodi. 

The letter of allocation in the hands of The Mirror indicates the directors as Alma-Louise Gordon, B Chikono, B Chifamba, E. Mutodi, K Bhotsha and OZ Gumbo who are also listed as executives.

Tawonga Musina, a lawyer said that the clients can approach the registrar’s offices for verification of the company’s registration and thereafter file a Police report. 

Hundreds of duped civil servants are said to have given up after trying for many years to get their money back. The stands sold by NDHT were mainly in Masvingo and Bulawayo, according to affected civil servants who spoke to The Mirror on condition of anonymity.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) spokesperson Daisy Zambuko confirmed the scam but said most of those affected got their money back through the courts. She could not however, be drawn into commenting on how many or how members of her organisation were affected.

“People who were affected had their matters handled by the courts and a judgement has since been passed,” she said.

One teacher told The Mirror that he lost US$1 150 after paying US$100 monthly subscriptions from 2011 for a stand in Riverside.

He showed The Mirror the receipts and said that the NHDT offices were at Masvingo Post Office along Emmerson D. Mnangagwa Street but the organisation left without giving any notice to clients in 2014. Since then it has been impossible to locate the land developers.

“I have tried relentlessly over the years to locate the organisation but I cannot find it, neither can I find the directors. The organisation just vanished,” said the teacher.