ZACC goes after Dinha

FORMER Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Province, Advocate Martin Dinha is being investigated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on allegations of criminal abuse of office during his tenure as Bindura's executive mayor between 2004 and 2008.

In a letter seen by our Harare Bureau stamped August 5, 2019 to Bindura Municipality signed by ZACC investigations manager, Mr Lovemore Findi, the commission said they were "investigating various allegations of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer as defined in Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23".

Some of the allegations levelled against Adv Dinha include selling Kingstone Farm to former Cabinet minister, Nicholas Goche.

Goche is alleged to have initially sold the same farm to Bindura Municipality. Reads the letter in part; "The then Executive Mayor, Advocate Martin Dinha bought a council house in March 2008 after council had passed a resolution cancelling the sale of council houses in low-density suburbs.  

"The said house was sold without going to tender nor advertised in terms of the law. The then mayor converted a grinding mill donated to Bindura Town Council by a Mazowe resident in 2004 to his own use.  

"In 2008, Adv Martin Dinha, Japhet Kabanga and the District Administrator, sold Kingstone Farm back to former Minister Goche who had initially sold it to council in 2004. The sale had no council resolution."

Adv Dinha, who was recently appointed National Railways of Zimbabwe board chairman, confirmed the probe but quickly refuted the allegations. He said it was the work of his "political enemies" in Mashonaland Central.

In an unsolicited WhatsApp message, Adv Dinha said; "Mukoma, vamwe vangu kuMash Central Province vaneni (my colleagues in Mashonaland Central are baying for my scalp). Pure evil.  

"They want to portray a false narrative that I am working against mukuru (President Mnangagwa) and that I am a national security threat to justify my elimination and arrest and that I be fired from NRZ where I was appointed as board member.  "This is evil and I am behind mukuru (the President) and totally uninterested (sic). Kazembe Kazembe chair (Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central) fears being popular I want to be chair while my successor as Minister of State (Monica Mavhunga) lacks confidence and control and thinks I am a threat to her position and political ambition (sic)."

In a telephone interview on Friday, Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Minister Mavhunga, dismissed Adv Dinha's claims and invited him to join hands with everyone in championing the province's devolution agenda.

"I am not aware of ZACC's probe on Dinha. No-one is fighting him in this province. We are seized with the devolution agenda where we want to see the lives of Mashonaland Central people being improved.

"We are development-oriented and have no time for factional fights as he is claiming.  "After resoundingly winning the 2018 harmonised elections, as a province we should be more united and consolidate our gains.  

"We want the unity that saw us winning all the seats in the province to continue prevailing so that we remain the best province in the country," said Minister Mavhunga, who is also a Zanu-PF Politburo member.

Minister Kazembe was not readily available for a comment as he was reported to be out of the country.