Gweru PSC officer granted bail
MARTIN MAWAYA
Gweru Provincial Magistrate Beaulity Dube has granted bail to a Public Service Commission (PSC) officer who is charged with three counts of duping job seekers US$800.
Tinashe Joseph Mpofu (38) was ordered to deposit US$50 with the Gweru clerk of court and to report once a fortnight every Friday to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) offices at the Government complex.
Magistrate Dube also ordered Mpofu not to interfere with the state witnesses and to continue residing at his old prison complex residence before remanding him to November 8, 2024.
Mpofu, who was represented by prominent Gweru lawyer Esau Mandipa, is alleged to have duped Barbra Bere of US$300 for facilitating employment as a teacher with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education through the PSC.
It was alleged that Bere met with the accused at the Government complex on March 24, where she paid Mpofu US$150.
Mpofu insisted that Bere should pay the full amount so that she could secure the job before schools opened for the second term of 2024.
The court heard that Bere borrowed the other US$150 and paid Mpofu.
However, Mpofu failed to facilitate the job, prompting Bere to request a refund in September 2024, but never recovered the money.
In March 2024, Mpofu reportedly used the same modus operandi and duped Masaila Tenjiwe of Mkoba 11 of US$300 for a job facilitation fee, which she never recovered.
On the third count, the court heard that Mpofu duped George Nyanda of US$200 as a facilitation fee to secure a job for his wife in the public service.
In February 2024, Nyanda met with the accused at the Government complex car park, where he handed over his wife’s curriculum vitae.
Mpofu demanded a facilitation fee of US$400 to speed up the process, but Nyanda insisted he could only pay US$200, with the balance to be paid once his wife got the job.
Mpofu was paid the initial deposit in May 2024, but Nyanda’s wife never got the job.
The complainant requested a refund, which he received at the Six Maint Barracks on the 1st of October.
According to ZACC investigations, the process for application or registration for jobs in the PSC database are offered without any facilitation fee or payments.
Helen Khosa appeared for the state.