Anti-Corruption Commission Probes Abuse of Farming Inputs
09 February 2012
At least seven GMB officials, including Hwange depot manager Magugu Ndebele,
were arrested recently in Matabeleland region following the looting of 30
tonnes of agricultural inputs and 81 tonnes of processed grain in Bulawayo
and Binga, Matabeleland North
Gibbs Dube | Washington
Zimbabwe’s Anti-Corruption Commission has deployed investigators to Grain
Marketing Board depots in Masvingo province following the unearthing of
massive looting of farming inputs by the loss-control department of the
state enterprise.
Parliamentarians and government officials said the commission will hand over
names of suspects including GMB officials and ZANU-PF party provincial
officials to the police after completing its investigations within the next
few days.
Commission officials were tight-lipped over the issue. But Deputy
Agriculture Minister Seiso Moyo said police should arrest anyone linked to
the theft of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and maize seed intended to go to
struggling farmers earlier this year.
At least seven GMB officials, including Hwange depot manager Magugu Ndebele,
were arrested recently in Matabeleland region following the looting of 30
tonnes of agricultural inputs and 81 tonnes of processed grain in Bulawayo
and Binga, Matabeleland North.
Moyo said the government is worried about the high rate of corruption at
GMB, which is linked to some officials of ZANU-PF, party of President Robert
Mugabe.
“I hope everyone involved in this scam will be arrested because it has
derailed most if not all of our agricultural targets this year,” Moyo said.
Development worker Liberty Bhebhe said the Anti-Corruption Commission should
arrest any politicians linked to the abuse of the state-backed GMB farming
input scheme.
GMB Acting Chief Executive Albert Mandizha, who appeared last week before
the agriculture parliamentary committee which interrogated him over the
abuse of the farming inputs and grain loan programs, did not rule out
rampant corruption in the state entity largely controlled by ZANU-PF
functionaries.
The GMB is among 10 loss-making state-controlled enterprises targeted for
privatization by the cash-strapped Zimbabwean government.