Harare City ex-worker in soup over stand deal

A FORMER Harare City Council (HCC) chief clerical officer appeared on Thursday before magistrate Donald Ndirowei facing a charge of abuse of office in a deal involving the purchase of a residential stand.

The accused, Brian Risinamhodzi was remanded out of custody on US$150 bail and will return to court on April 16 for routine remand.

According to court papers, Risinamhodzi's duties included registration of applicants on housing waiting list and writing invitation letters to applicants for interviews for new schemes.

It is alleged that sometime in December 2020, Godfrey Dziwire approached HCC looking for a residential stand to purchase and was advised by the accused that Tariro Yevana Housing Co-operative in Southlands Park, Harare, was issuing residential stands to homeseekers.

Dziwire then gave the accused US$3 000 to assist him acquire a stand from the co-operative and the accused issued an affidavit for the US$3 000, acknowledging receipt of the money.

Risinamhodzi, however, allegedly took US$1 000 from the US$3 000 as facilitation and processing fee for the stand.

The court heard that Risinamhodzi was aware that such benefit was not due to him and that the stand in question had been allocated to another homeseeker, Irene London.

It is alleged that Risinamhodzi handed over US$2 000 to Tariro Yevana Housing Pay Scheme purporting it to be a development fee.

The State, represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti, further alleged that the accused purported to be acting on behalf of HCC, while also acting contrary to his duties by instructing Tariro Yevana Housing Pay Scheme to replace Irene London with Dziwire as beneficiary for stand number 10751 in Tariro Township, Southlands Park.