SIX people were arrested in Beitbridge in two separate cases and have since appeared in court for the unlawful possession and sale of agricultural inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme.
The arrests followed intelligence provided by the National Anti-Corruption Association of Zimbabwe (NACAZ), which detected individuals buying and reselling fertiliser obtained from beneficiaries of the scheme in the border town.
NACAZ, an affiliate of Zanu PF, working under the ruling party’s security department, collaborates with the police and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to curb graft.
The first case involved Chemistry Ndou (61), Khare Ndou (23), Thumelo Moyo (24) and Voice Ndou (62), all from Beitbridge.
Last Wednesday, the NACAZ team, led by assistant deputy director of operations Alvin Makufa, joined hands with ZRP members from Beitbridge Urban and went to a house in Dulibadzimu, intending to arrest Ndou, who, on seeing the police, bolted from his house, but was pursued and caught.
The team recovered 70x50kg bags of fertiliser, which were being sold at his house.
The fertilise was said to have been bought from Swereki villagers under Chief Sitaudzi who are beneficiaries of the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
The four accused persons and the recovered fertiliser were taken to ZRP Beitbridge Urban, where they were booked under RRB number 6495937 and detained.
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The case was later taken over by CID Law and Order Beitbridge for further management.
The total value of the recovered fertiliser is US$2 000.
The second case involved Angeline Chokutaura (46) of Magamba Park in Chivhu and Taruvinga Manunure (38) of Mucheche village in Lutumba under Chief Sitaudze, Beitbridge.
On the same day last Wednesday, the NACAZ team and ZRP members from Beitbridge Urban went to Mucheche village in Lutumba, Beitbridge Rural, where Chokutaura was arrested after being found in possession of 120x50kg bags of fertiliser, which she was about to transport to Chivhu.
Chokutaura was taken to ZRP Beitbridge Rural, and the fertiliser was booked as an exhibit.
She implicated Manunure as the one who sold her the fertiliser.
The following day, on December 4, NACAZ members and CID Law and Order Beitbridge officers proceeded to Manunure’s house in Mucheche village, Lutumba. Manunure, upon seeing the team, bolted, but was chased and caught.
He admitted selling the 120 bags to Chokutaura, and also that he bought them from beneficiaries of the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
A docket was opened under RRB number 6507155 at ZRP Beitbridge Rural, after which it was transferred to Beitbridge CID Law and Order.
The value of the recovered 120 bags of fertiliser is US$3 720.
The total value of the recovered fertiliser for both cases is US$5 720.
Four of the six accused persons appeared before Magistrate Brenda Kachepa last Friday, who released them on US$50 bail each.
They were not being represented.
The other two accused persons last Friday appeared before magistrate Tafadzwa Gwazemba, who sentenced them to a fine of US$100 or 30 days imprisonment each.
Mugwagwa represented the State in both cases.
