MBERENGWA East villagers have petitioned local legislator Tasara Hungwe, ward councillor and the Department of Social Welfare over rampant corruption in the distribution of government food aid.
In the petition, the villagers noted that there was abuse of public office by Amen Makandise, a local Arex officer.
“On July 23, Mataruse B1 ward gathered at Ruuraugwi Primary School, where presidential drought food aid was distributed to the community. Makandise, who is an Arex area officer was the secretary of the social welfare distribution team,” the petition read.
“The officer abused his office by commanding Moyo Sibonisiwe to add Hove Sanie, who is his brother, to the selected 11 Hofisi villagers who were allocated presidential food aid.
“He gave him four dependants without consulting the kraal heads or villagers. His brother is currently not residing in the village or ward in particular. This is gross abuse of office by an officer.”
The villagers claimed that despite being a civil servant, Makandise again instructed that his wife Doreen Moyo, a teacher at Chabwira Primary School under Chief Mataruse’s area benefits from the food aid.
“The officer put his wife’s name and faked the national identity registration on the distribution form. Makandise also connived to get a 50kg bag of maize that was supposed to be given to the Hofisi villagers who are in a critical position,” the petition further read.
“He then sold (a) 50kg (bag of) maize and (used proceeds from the sale to buy) beer. He is fully aware that civil servants should not get first priority or are not given at all.”
Hungwe confirmed receiving the letter from the aggrieved villagers.
“I received the letter and I sent a team to investigate. The written responses are going to be in my office by Thursday,” Hungwe said.
Contacted for comment, Makandise dismissed the claims as false.
“I am aware of the letter and all the allegations are false. For more details, I refer you to our village head,” he said.
Efforts to get comment from the village head, only identified as Tadzoka, were fruitless.
