A senior official employed by an Insiza-based non-governmental organisation, has admitted to shortchanging the Zimbabwe Project trust (ZPT) in a goats purchase scheme.
BY SILAS NKALA
Velaphi Dube, who works at York World Marketing (YWM) is alleged to have defrauded the Zimbabwe Project trust (ZPT) of 78 goats after being contracted to distribute the animals to Insiza villagers.
Dube (41), appeared before Bulawayo senior magistrate Gladmore Mushove, charged alongside ZPT official Mluleki Nyathi (43) for allegedly supplying the villagers with 134 goats instead of 212 beasts.
According to the evidence presented in court, Dube’s firm was contracted by ZPT to supply Insiza villagers with four goats per household after winning a tender in 2014, but investigations by ZPT later revealed that 78 goats had not been accounted for.
Asked to comment on the discrepancy, Dube admitted making a costly mistake of trusting another person to distribute the goats to the villagers, but maintained Nyathi was the one who was liable for the missing goats.
Nyathi pleaded guilty to the fraud charge prompting the State to apply for separation of trial. He was remanded to September 3 for sentence, while Dube was remanded to the same date for judgment.
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“I gave cash for the 78 goats to Nyathi and I agree that I made a mistake by trusting him so much,” Dube said.
“At that time I did not anticipate my trust would prejudice the complainant. I trusted a person. I took it for granted that he would deliver the 78 goats because we even gave him the other goats and he delivered them. He was the one who knew the beneficiaries and would distribute goats to them.”
Dube said Nyathi charged him $44 per goat and he sold them to ZPT at $64 each.
“I am prepared to refund the complainant or supply the goats if the complainant agrees,” Dube said. “Nyathi must be dragging me into this just because his tricks have been exposed and he wants to go down with me.”
ZPT’s administration and finance officer Hillary Sikhumbuzo Nyamweda said ZPT paid $64,50 per goat and lost a total of $5 031 in the deal.
The court heard, Nyathi was supposed to receive and distribute four goats per household, but to cover up for the crime, he completed acknowledgement of receipt forms purporting the beneficiaries had received their fair share of goats.
