The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana, Hwange Correspondent
THE trial of former Hwange Rural District Council treasurer who is alleged to have stolen more than $6 000 from the local authority started at the Hwange magistrates’ courts last week, two years after he was dismissed from work.
Mafa Ngwenya (50) of 33 Lukosi, who is facing seven counts of theft pleaded not guilty when he appeared before provincial magistrate Mrs Rose Dube.
He claimed that he used the money to conduct council business, a narrative contested by the local authority.
The matter was remanded to 7 August with Ngwenya’s defence counsel led by Mr Thulani Nkala of Dube and Company expected to present their case.
The State opened its case by calling its chief witness HRDC chief executive officer, Mr Phindile Ncube who testified that Ngwenya did not use the money for council business but used it for his personal benefit thereby violating council procedures in accounting by failing to bank the money he had collected from the authority’s sub-offices.
“Council is primarily guided by financial standing instructions which outline procedures in making payments. All payments are done through the electronic system (RTGS) while minor ones which are referred to as petty payments are taken care of by the petty cash. But all these kind of payments follow the same procedure where the department raises a requisition which is first signed by the treasurer to confirm availability of funds before being signed by the CEO. From then payment vouchers are raised by the clerks under the treasurer’s supervision. The funds were not used to dispense council business as accused alleges. The alleged payment of $1 680 to Ben Electrical is a deposit in transit as no such expenditure was ever incurred to the purported client,” said Mr Ncube.
He said council has failed to get a satisfactory answer as to why the treasurer took three months to bank the money while it was unusual that a voucher was raised two months after expenditure. The court heard that on 30 June 2015, officials from HRDC received a tip-off to the effect that Ngwenya was converting the authority’s money he was allegedly collecting from Kamativi and Dete sub-offices to his personal use.
On 9 September the same year an audit team convened at the organisation’s offices in Lukosi and carried out a forensic audit which led to the discovery of the theft. The report revealed that during the period extending from 20 to 25 March 2015 and at HRDC offices, Ngwenya receipted $84 from Salvation Army Church. The money was an inspection fee and was supposed to be deposited into the authority’s general account but Ngwenya converted it to his own use.
On 22 April 2015, Ngwenya proceeded to Dete sub-office where he collected $1 569 which he receipted before failing to bank the money and converting it to his personal use. Five days later he again receipted $1 930 he had collected from Kamativi sub-office before using the same technique. Ngwenya allegedly repeated the same method on 5, 7, 11 and 27 June 2015 collecting another $2 537 from Dete and Kamativi sub-offices. The total amount stolen from the rural authority amounted to $6 589.
After catching wind that an investigation had been instituted into the anomalies Ngwenya allegedly deposited $4 177 into the HRDC Dete sub office account. The audit report implicated Ngwenya leading to his suspension from council and subsequent dismissal. He was later arrested and charged with theft. However, the trial was delayed owing to investigations and an appeal Ngwenya had instituted with the Labour Court challenging his dismissal which he lost. Mr Onias Nyathi appeared for the State.
