EX-ZIFA BOSS MALANDULE NABBED FOR ABUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS
FORMER ZIFA board member, Brighton Malandule, was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for allegedly abusing public funds at the Tsholotsho Rural District Council.
Malandule is the Tsholotsho Rural District Council executive finance officer.
He was a member of the ZIFA board, led by Felton Kamambo, which was dismissed from officer by the Sports and Recreation Commission over a number of cases related to abuse of office.
The impasse, triggered by the recall of that ZIFA board, led to the suspension of Zimbabwe, from international football, by FIFA for almost two years.
Malandule is being charged together with Tsholotsho Rural District Council chief executive, Nkululeko Sibanda.
The two officials were arrested last Thursday and appeared before Tsholotsho magistrate Mr Thomas Gurejena on Saturday.
They were each remanded out of custody to January 5 on $1,2 million bail.
The two were further ordered to report at ZRP Tsholotsho once on the last Friday of the fortnight, surrender their passports and not to interfere with investigations, evidence and witnesses.
The two were also ordered to reside at their given addresses.
According to court papers, Malandule and Sibanda, who are both responsible for procuring goods and services for the council and its arms, awarded a borehole drilling contract to Makhado Marketing without following the proper procedures and approval of the council.
Malandule, who had the duty to monitor the use of resources in pursuit of defined objectives of the Council, to ensure all expenditure is as per budget and exercising due diligence before effecting payments to avoid financial losses to the Council allegedly acted contrary and inconsistent with his duties as the Treasurer of Tsholotsho RDC by effecting payments to Makhado Marketing without exercising due diligence.
“By so doing, the accused persons showed favour to Makhado Marketing by hand-picking it without going to tender or using the request for quotation method of procurement and paying full cost price of borehole surveying, siting, drilling and installation of cylinder complete with foot valves and bush pumps well knowing that Makhado Marketing had not yet performed its contractual obligations thereby putting Tsholotsho RDC on high risk of unnecessary sunk costs,” reads the State papers.
Sibanda was the one who single-handedly gave Makhado Marketing the contract, the court heard.