MIDWEEK REPORTER
ZVISHAVANE-Zvishavane Town Secretary, Tinoda Mukutu has been sentenced to two years behind bars for corruption by Gweru Provincial Magistrate, Miriam Banda yesterday.
Mukutu with two other officials were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) in May 2021 for flouting tender procedures by awarding the same contract twice to a company, JM Construction, which had failed to fulfil the terms of the first contract.
Mukutu, Housing Director Nhlanhla Ngwenya and Town Engineer, Dominic Mapwashike were accused of renewing the agreement with JM Construction, a land developing firm, without a Council resolution.
The State represented by Frederick Macheza told the court that on May 23, 2016, Zvishavane Town Council entered into a partnership agreement with Monitor Enterprises trading as JM Construction, for the servicing of 27 central business district extension stands valued at US$2 772 258.31.
JM Construction won the partnership agreement after competing in a tender process that was flighted by the Town Council, but the two-year timeframe lapsed before completion of agreed works resulting in the termination of the agreement.
The court heard that, a notice of cancellation of the partnership agreement was served to JM Construction by the Town Council’s lawyers Chigariro, Phiri and Partners Legal Practitioners on October 1, 2018.
The court further heard that, when the agreement was terminated, the Town Council was supposed to start the tendering process afresh, by way of flighting an advert in the local press inviting bids to continue with servicing of the stands.
However, on December 17, 2019, the trio allegedly connived and contrary to and inconsistent with their duties, clandestinely negotiated and hand-picked JM Construction again to continue with the contract.
The trio allegedly entered into another new agreement with new conditions for the continued servicing of the 27 stands with JM Construction, without a Council resolution and without going through the tender process.
They pleaded guilty to the charges.
