THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has launched an investigation into a case involving cotton farming inputs which were stocked at a warehouse linked to Gokwe-Nembudziya legislator Justice Wadyajena.
Zacc spokesperson John Makamure confirmed that the matter was under probe but declined to release more details.
“I am unable to comment on matters under investigation. The media will be informed once investigations have been completed,” he said yesterday.
The Independent understands that a crack team from Zacc and the police descended on a warehouse in Gokwe last weekend where cotton farming inputs were confiscated by the law enforcement agents.
National police spokesperson Paul Nyathi yesterday said Zacc was handling the matter.
He said: “You can contact Zacc on that matter”.
Wadyajena was mum over the issue when approached for comment by the Independent yesterday, as he did not respond to questions while his mobile phone went unanswered several times.
Gokwe is a farming community which relies on cotton as a cash crop.
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It was not yet clear whether the farming inputs were sourced procedurally but sources insisted investigators were convinced there could be a prima facie case.
“Zacc raided a warehouse in Gokwe following suspicion that some inputs were acquired unprocedurally. Politicians are involved in the inputs saga as they use such implements as political capital to distribute to voters in rural farming constituencies. The investigation is still underway and more details are likely to emerge soon,” a source close to the developments said.
This follows a clampdown by the anti-graft body on abuse of inputs by high profile figures.
Recently, the dragnet caught former Lands and Agriculture deputy minister Douglas Karoro while Cottco managing director Pious Manamike and his marketing and business development manager Maxmore Njanji were also nabbed in the anti-graft drive. The cases are still pending in the courts.
Meanwhile, the Zacc raid in Gokwe-Nembudziya comes at a time when the parliamentary portfolio committee on agriculture chaired by Wadyajena is likely to summon Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka to appear over the construction of Vungu Dam.
The tender for the construction of the dam, located in Silobela, was won by a local engineering company, last year.
However, the contractor is lagging behind the implementation schedule for the US$87 million project because of the delays in the disbursement of funds from the government. — Staff Writer.
