Grace Mugabe nails ex-employees in court

Former First Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday took the stand in a Harare court to testify against four of her former employees accused of stealing household property valued at over half a million US dollars from her Blue Roof mansion in Borrowdale, Harare.

Allen Chinamonya (42), Danmore Chinamonya (35), Samson Karonga, and Tendai Nyamudzwe are facing charges of unlawful entry and theft in aggravating circumstances. The quartet appeared before Harare Magistrate Estere Chivasa.

In her testimony, Mugabe detailed how her family moved household property from Zimbabwe House to the Blue Roof mansion in 2017 using 11 containers, all of which were locked and secured under her care. She explained that the keys were kept with her and that security guards were stationed to protect the items.

However, Mugabe said she only discovered the theft in 2022, after returning from Singapore. She explained that when the Museum of African Liberation contacted her in May of this year to request artefacts belonging to her late husband, former President Robert Mugabe, she went to inspect the containers. Upon arrival, she found that the locks had been broken, and the containers had been ransacked, with numerous items missing.

Mugabe further stated that she caught Nyamudzwe red-handed with a chest of drawers, adding that some of the stolen goods would have required transportation, suggesting that the drivers were also involved in the theft.

The former First Lady told the court that the four accused had a history of stealing during their employment and became emotional when the State presented her late husband's alleged stolen suits. This led to a brief adjournment of the trial.

When the trial resumed, Mugabe refuted the accused's claims that they had been given the suits by her, stressing that even long-serving workers were never given such valuable items. She stated that the value of the stolen property was between US$3.5 million and US$4 million.

However, the defence counsel, Rene Kuchidza, argued that Mugabe never witnessed the accused opening the containers and questioned her memory regarding the date of the theft. Kuchidza also pointed out that the initial police report estimated the value of the stolen goods at US$500,000, which Mugabe admitted was low, suggesting that the police had prematurely concluded the investigation.

Kuchidza also contended that some of the property might have been moved to Mugabe's Mazowe School and foundation, and suggested that some items found in the suspects' possession were given to them by the late President. Mugabe dismissed these assertions, denying that any such items were given to the accused.

According to the State's case, the theft occurred sometime in 2018, after the former president's resignation, when the 11 containers were transported to the Blue Roof mansion. The accused allegedly gained access to the containers and stole various items, including television sets, clothing, cutlery, and bath towels.

Mugabe discovered the theft in May 2023, during her inspection of the containers, and police recovered some stolen items, including suits, bed covers, and a television set, from the homes of the accused. The recovered goods were valued at around US$2,000, while the total estimated value of the stolen property was US$500,000.

The trial is ongoing, and the court is expected to hear more testimonies as the case progresses.