via GMB bosses in looting spree – DailyNews Live by Helen Kadirire 12 FEBRUARY 2014
Top management at the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has been fingered in a looting spree as the company struggles to service a $108 million maize import debt.
Documentary evidence in possession of the Daily News shows that GMB general manager Albert Mandizha and his two deputies, took personal possession of luxury company cars without remitting payment to the struggling government entity.
Mandizha is noted to have taken possession of an Isuzu, Toyota Prado and a Jeep Cherokee in 2013, acquired by the GMB.
The vehicles, worth more than $250 000, have remained unaccounted for, while only $860 was paid out for one of the cars.
“On 19th April 2013, (Mandizha) acquired an Isuzu (Reg no ABE 4201) which had been acquired by GMB for $28 076. 92 on 25th August 2010 and there is no disposal value realised by the GMB for that transaction,” read an official document seen by the Daily News.
Mandizha went on to take a Prado which had been bought by the GMB in 2005 before he joined the parastatal, which he also did not make payment for.
His deputy general manager in charge of operations, Lawrence Jasi, is on record as having received a Mazda B2500 on August 19, 2009 and a Toyota Hilux on April 19, 2013.
Not to be outdone, deputy general manager human resources, Sibongile Muchirahondo, on April 19, 2013 acquired a Mazda Eagle for a residual book value of $860 and on May 6, took possession of a company Toyota Hilux, also without making payment.
The document indicates the vehicles acquired were allegedly used by Mandizha and his subordinates for business purposes.
Claims in excess of $3 000 per month were then made against the GMB for maintenance of the vehicles.
Mandizha was not answering his phone when contacted for comment, while Jasi declined to answer questions posed by this newspaper.
He referred the Daily News to the corporate communications manager Muriel Zemura.
The company spokesperson, claimed the vehicles had been sold to the three, in line with their respective contracts, a position he claimed was approved by the GMB board and tax collector Zimra.
“Their contracts provide for the acquisition of vehicles at the end of five-year contracts and the three have completed their contracts and are on their second terms. The contracts provide for the acquisition of vehicles at ex-book value plus depreciation,” Zemura said.
She however, did not cite how many vehicles they were entitled to, how much the cars were sold for and if the three top management officials paid for them.
Agriculture minister Joseph Made, who controls the parastatal, professed ignorance over the matter.
“I am only finding out about this from you. You can call me tomorrow or the day after to find out after I have made investigations into the matter,” Made said.
A 2012 audit of the ailing parastatal’s books by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, revealed that GMB failed to account for more than $1 million and about 20 000 of its assets.
Last year, GMB was failing to pay some 3 600 workers amid reports that top management had purchased top-of-the-range Toyota D4D off-road vehicles.
The government entity currently owes local farmers more than $6 million for last season’s grain supplies.
COMMENTS
And these are the people who will soon control all imports of maize meal?
Here is me thinking Made is dead. These people keep lingering around like a bad smell. What has he ever achieved in all the years that he has beeen with this ministry?
It is great that all this information is coming out. Or is it that this newspaper now feels brave enough to puplish what it previously would not. Buying vehicles while farmers can’t plant because they have not been paid for previous deliveries and still keeping their jobs! I bet the ZRP is not even interested in this. They will perhaps claim that nobody has made a complaint, as though they have no powers of their own. A million dollars missing and nothing done about it!
Mandizha A former Senior Assistant Commissioner anosungwa nani?
Let them steal until there nothing to steal
GMB looting? Never!
So much for Gumbo claiming that they are spearheading exposing corruption when Made knows nothing about how vehicles were fraudulently obtained. Once again this was revealed by the press!! I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised after all lying goes hand in hand with stealing
From the look of things all parastatals /quasi-govt bodies/subsidiaries/companies are reeking in corruption which is well orchestrated.
This is what you get when you militarize all parastatals for political gains.Military personnel are trained to kill not to manage economy.They have done what they are trained to do -kill the economy.WELL DONE GUYS MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
ZANUpf is behind all this by appointing chef thieves with 8the main of having them loot! A bunch bloody greedy mercenaries! Blood suckers!
it is planned. how come anyone deployed to a parastatal steals it rotten? muvuti at gmb, karakadzai at nrz, gata at zesa, pasi at zimra, dube at psmas? whether it is exposed or not, nothing will happen to them they bosses are also stealing. who is not stealing – mushohwe, made, mutasa, mohadi, chombo, saviour, mliswa, obert, shupa?
Remember the song “HERE WE GO AGAIN”. Seems appropriate to play in this day and age of our quandery. Maybe Bob the sleepover man can snore himself to sleep without looking back .
The paper must dig much deeper into GMB especially from 2007 when Albert Mandizha took over the leadership of GMB. From my experience with parastatals like GMB, never in the history of GMB has it failed to pay farmers except in the Albert Mandizha short history. Farmers who delivered grain to GMB in 2007 and bought tons and tons of fertilizer in the same year or 6 years ago have not been paid or given the fertilizer. What a mega fraud and where is the police and what is Joseph Made doing about it?
Joseph Made must stop existing like a shadow minister of agriculture or a ghost of a minister. He must become physical with the Mandizhas of GMB. He must investigate GMB top management as a matter of urgency. No wonder why we are importing maize instead of exporting it. It is because farmers have completely lost confidence with GMB all because of GMB’s corruption and gross inefficiency. Marara haachengetwe mumba; fire the culprits sooner than later. They are the cause of maize shortage in the country. Giving them the responsibility to import maize is not a good idea. Don’t give the Mandizhas more room to play fraudulent games with the people.
Just a gang of common horse thieves and cattle rustlers. Zim doesn’t need need any parastatals whatsoever!!!!!!!! What’s the economic sense?