Obert Mpofu
An audit has unearthed a massive scandal at Doelfontein Township in which the council lost thousands of dollars in underhand deals throwing the Zanu PF led municipality into turmoil.
Latest full council minutes show that Ward 9 Councillor, Thulani Moyo and housing director, Sipho Mdlongwa, face suspensions after the audit committee recommended that appropriate action be taken against the duo.
The audit report reveals that the department of housing led by Mdlongwa supplied incorrect information on the status of stands number 6550 and 6447 which were declared vacant although investigations later showed they had been sold by Councillor Moyo.
Moyo, who is also the chairperson of the Housing Committee, was once convicted for fraud.
“The two stands were clandestinely allocated to Councillor Thulani Moyo and the municipality lost $4 808.15. Evidence was produced in the meeting to the effect that Thulani Moyo went on to sale the two stands he had fraudulently obtained,” council minutes read.
Investigations by Newzimbabwe.com revealed that Moyo sold the two stands to one Ignatius Nyirenda. According to the affidavits he penned, both stands were sold for $8, 000 with Moyo receiving a total of $4 700 when the deal was sealed.
The audit report further reveals that some stands could have been systematically concealed by the department of housing. According to the audit report there is an example “a client being entered into the beneficiary database as Ndondo John W, John Wittington Ndondo and John W Ndondo and with each variation of his name a different stand was assigned to him, yet in essence he had paid for only one stand.”
Moyo is not new to controversy having been dumped by minister Mpofu for allegedly misappropriating rentals from his Gwanda property.
He is not known to be flashy after he once took the elderly from Gwanda Old Peoples Home on a trip to Chipangali in Bulawayo and bought some municipality workers uniforms.
Moyo has, however, reportedly fallen on hard times and his wife’s car almost went under the hammer last week after being seized by the messenger of court.
The Moyos reportedly made a last minute settlement for the Toyota Harrier to be spared.
Auditors have recommended that mayor Knowledge Ndlovu and town clerk Priscilla Nkala take appropriate action against Moyo and Mdlongwa. Moyo, however, has reportedly threatened to spill the beans on other councillors if they dare suspend him.
The municipality of Gwanda has in the past made questionable housing deals with Mornef Construction, a contractor who has won vast land in the Matebeleland South capital.
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