News / National
Zanu-PF youth leaders' scam leaves farmers helpless
15 Dec 2014 at 19:05hrs | Views
The scandal involving some members of the Zanu-PF Youth League and a private company, LASCH Investments has left a sour taste among farmers who were duped.
All the optimism of the dawn of a new season whenever the first rains fall, are slowly fading for an old man, Elias Murena.
Since October, the senior citizen from Murehwa has made a total of six trips to Harare at a cost of US$14 to and from.
Most of the times, he does not have the bus-fare and has to borrow from neighbours.
The heart-broken old man's fate is all anchored upon the input scheme-cum-scam involving officials from the Zanu-PF party and a private company, LASCH Investments.
Gogo Esnath Murehwa has an almost same tale as the wait for the inputs has been a long and vain one.
For somebody who had to sell her chickens in rural Shamva to raise the money which was then swindled by the LASCH directors, the gods have certainly not been kind.
Heart-broken farmers are just praying for a miracle, which just doesn't look like will come anytime soon.
It all began with the official launch of a much hyped US$2,4 billion input scheme involving the members of the Zanu-PF Youth League, former Minister of Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa, and LASCH Investments.
The inputs are yet to materialise and the estimated loss at the moment on a national scale stands at over US$1,8 million.
The only legacy left by the scheme are duped farmers who now spend days camped at the Zanu-PF headquarters.
However, suspects fingered in the scam are yet to be arrested five days after a police report was made.
At least 115 complainants have filed a report with the police against LASCH directors who are alleged to have fleeced farmers of large sums of money in a dubious input scam.
Most of the complainants come from Mashonaland Central Province and areas surrounding Harare.
ZBC News has it on good authority that hundreds of other farmers from Mashonaland east are yet to make a police report.
A docket of fraud was opened at Southerton Police Station on Thursday under RRB number 2247010.
Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba however said the net is fast closing in on the accused persons as investigations are being finalised.
The accused persons in the case are LASCH directors: Tapiwa Zengeya and Nelson Mahupete, as well as Zanu-PF Youth League Secretary, Absalom Sikhosana.
All the optimism of the dawn of a new season whenever the first rains fall, are slowly fading for an old man, Elias Murena.
Since October, the senior citizen from Murehwa has made a total of six trips to Harare at a cost of US$14 to and from.
Most of the times, he does not have the bus-fare and has to borrow from neighbours.
The heart-broken old man's fate is all anchored upon the input scheme-cum-scam involving officials from the Zanu-PF party and a private company, LASCH Investments.
Gogo Esnath Murehwa has an almost same tale as the wait for the inputs has been a long and vain one.
For somebody who had to sell her chickens in rural Shamva to raise the money which was then swindled by the LASCH directors, the gods have certainly not been kind.
Heart-broken farmers are just praying for a miracle, which just doesn't look like will come anytime soon.
It all began with the official launch of a much hyped US$2,4 billion input scheme involving the members of the Zanu-PF Youth League, former Minister of Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa, and LASCH Investments.
The inputs are yet to materialise and the estimated loss at the moment on a national scale stands at over US$1,8 million.
The only legacy left by the scheme are duped farmers who now spend days camped at the Zanu-PF headquarters.
However, suspects fingered in the scam are yet to be arrested five days after a police report was made.
At least 115 complainants have filed a report with the police against LASCH directors who are alleged to have fleeced farmers of large sums of money in a dubious input scam.
Most of the complainants come from Mashonaland Central Province and areas surrounding Harare.
ZBC News has it on good authority that hundreds of other farmers from Mashonaland east are yet to make a police report.
A docket of fraud was opened at Southerton Police Station on Thursday under RRB number 2247010.
Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba however said the net is fast closing in on the accused persons as investigations are being finalised.
The accused persons in the case are LASCH directors: Tapiwa Zengeya and Nelson Mahupete, as well as Zanu-PF Youth League Secretary, Absalom Sikhosana.
Source - zbc
