The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Plumtree Correspondent
TWO Plumtree Town Council workers have been arrested for issuing fake licences to taxi operators operating in the border town.
A taxi operator has also been arrested for conniving with one of the workers to obtain a fake licence.
The two council workers who have since resigned reportedly faked the signature of Plumtree Town Secretary, Mr Davis Dumezweni Luthe and issued fake permits to taxi operators who had applied to operate within the border town.
Dalubuhle Sibanda (35) who was employed as a council committee’s clerk appeared together with taxi operator, Elvis Moyo (44) on initial remand before Plumtree magistrate, Mr Taurai Manwere facing forgery charges. They were remanded out of custody to 27 April after they were each granted a $50 bail.
Sibanda was also recently convicted on her own plea of guilty to issuing 10 fake permits with a combined value of $1 932 to seven taxi operators between July last year and January this year.
Sithandazile Mkhwananzi who was employed as a senior committees clerk appeared separately on initial remand before the same magistrate facing 11 counts of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer and a charge of forgery.
She was remanded out of custody to 27 April on $50 bail. The offences came to light after the council loss control officer; Mr Busani Ndiweni checked the records.
Prosecuting, Mr Elisha Mazorodze said Mkhwananzi issued fake permits with a combined value of $1 656 to 10 taxi operators from May 2016 to August 2016.
“Mkhwananzi was employed at the Plumtree Town Council and her duties included writing authority to operate a taxi in Plumtree Town after paying a license fee of $138. Applicants were expected to produce proof of payment to Mkhwananzi before she issued the letter which she was also supposed to convey to the Plumtree Town Council secretary for signing and stamping.
“Mkhwananzi wrote the letters and signed them herself and issued them to the applicants without them paying money to the council thereby showing favour to them,” said Mazorodze.
He said the taxi operators then used the letters to obtain route permits from the Ministry of Transport (and Infrastructural Development).
In the other case, Sibanda and Moyo who is a taxi operator in the border town connived on 17 July 2015 and forged a letter authorising Moyo to operate a taxi business. Sibanda went on to forge the signature of the town council secretary.
Sibanda was recently sentenced to 24 months imprisonment and six months were suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. The remaining 18 months were further suspended on condition that she performs 630 hours of community service at Plumtree Magistrate’s Court for issuing fake permits.
Prosecuting, Mr Elisha Mazorodze said from 4 July 2016 to January 3 2017, Sibanda was approached by seven taxi operators on different occasions who wanted to operate taxi businesses within the border town. He said Sibanda connived with the taxi operators who are yet to be arrested and forged the letters authorising them to operate their businesses in Plumtree.
Mr Mazorodze said Sibanda went on to sign each of these letters purporting to be the signature of Plumtree Town Council Secretary, Mr Dumezweni Luthe. The taxi operators then took these letters to the Ministry of Transport offices and used them to obtain route permits. The taxi operators are Yeukai Jimu, Augustino Mashayavanhu, Tarzen Gaba, Zenzo Mathonsi, Ravisai Chigwada, Fezile Ndiweni and Polite Ndlovu.
