Former Zanu-PF Women's League boss on theft charges

FORMER Zanu-PF Manicaland Women's League provincial chairperson and wife of recently suspended Zanu-PF Central Committee member Enock Porusingazi, Joyline Chipo Porusingazi, 42, appeared in court on Tuesday charged with theft. She is jointly charged with ousted provincial Women's League secretary for finance, Pedigree Mtara,  43.

The pair, who were signatories to the Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial Women's League account, appeared before Mutare magistrate Annie Ndiraya facing 13 counts of theft as defined in Section 113(2) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, Chapter 9.23 (theft of trust property).

They were not asked to plead and were remanded to January 7 on $300 bail. They were ordered to surrender all their travelling documents and to reside at their given addresses.

The state, led by Cuthbert Bosha, alleged that the two withdrew cash amounting to $37,466 that was deposited in the Manicaland Provincial Women's League CBZ account.

"The two accused persons made cash withdrawals from the account and used the cash for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was obliged to be used for without the authority or consent of the other executive members intending to deprive the Zanu-PF Manicaland Provincial Women's League of the said amount.

"The state has obtained bank statements from the bank confirming that the accused withdrew the money from CBZ Account Number 23916650018 as evidence linking the accused to the commission of the offence.

"The state also obtained slips signed by the accused persons and there're witnesses who can testify that the cash deposited in the Zanu-PF Manicaland Provincial Women's League account was used for purposes other than that which it was obliged to be used for," said Bosha.