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Man charged with theft of relief food

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A Soltec firm employee attached to Christian charity organisation World Vision was last Friday arraigned before the courts for allegedly stealing maize worth more than $17 000 meant for food relief. Samuel Muchayaya (28), of Nketa suburb in Bulawayo, was employed by Soltec as a food inspector but was seconded to World Vision’s offices located […]

A Soltec firm employee attached to Christian charity organisation World Vision was last Friday arraigned before the courts for allegedly stealing maize worth more than $17 000 meant for food relief.

Samuel Muchayaya (28), of Nketa suburb in Bulawayo, was employed by Soltec as a food inspector but was seconded to World Vision’s offices located in the city’s Belmont industrial area.

The state alleges that on April 6, World Vision received a 30-tonne consignment of maize meant for drought relief.

Muchayaya allegedly stole the maize and sold it to Masimba Dzomba of Hillside in Bulawayo. Dzomba allegedly took the delivery to a warehouse in Thorngrove for safekeeping.

The alleged offence was discovered by World Vision warehouse supervisor Christopher Mudakuvaka when he checked the truck and realised that the maize had been stolen. A police report was made and investigations led to Muchayaya’s arrest and the recovery of the consignment at the warehouse.

Muchayaya was not asked to plead when he briefly appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa facing a charge of theft.

He was remanded to May 5 on $200 bail. The court also ordered him to surrender his passport to the clerk of court.

State counsel Jerry Mutsindikwa had initially opposed granting of bail arguing Muchayaya was likely to abscond as he had provided false information to the police during investigations.

But Ruvetsa dismissed the state’s application saying it had failed to provide enough evidence to prove Muchayaya was not a good candidate for bail since he was of fixed abode and his residential address had been verified by police.

Muchayaya was represented by Tawanda Nathaniel Mashayamombe.