Members expose corrupt housing scheme executive

THE committee running Mupamombe Housing Cooperative here is in the eye of a storm after members raised serious allegations of fraud, misappropriation of trust funds and victimisation of member.

The officials are also accused of refusing to have the cooperative’s books audited.

Members of the co-operative accused chairperson Mr Naison Naison, the treasurer Mr Antony Mapindani and secretary Mr Kennedy Paridzira of being corrupt.

Some beneficiaries who spoke to The Herald on condition of anonymity said the committee agreed with members to sell 226 infill stands, averaging around 400 to 500 square metres each at $13 per square metre, to raise money for the connection of electricity in the area.

“However, more than $1 million that was raised from the deal has not been accounted for. We were shocked to be forced to pay for electricity connection charges,” the sources said.

“The committee is receiving trust funds in their personal Ecocash accounts instead of the cooperative’s trust bank account at CBZ. We are afraid to question this for fear of being victimised.”

They also accused the committee of inflating the rates used to pay for the grader that serviced roads within the cooperative’s area.

“We were told they hired it at a cost of $20 000 daily yet our investigations revealed that the owner was being paid $3 000 daily.

“We set up an interim committee since we felt the old is corrupt, but surprisingly, they are refusing to step down and hand over account books.”

The beneficiaries also alleged that only one audit had been conducted during the past decade.

Mr Mapindani said the committee was aware of the allegations.

“I have received the allegations and forwarded them to the committee, which will sit and deliberate on them.

“What I can only say for now is that the project’s records are public and can be viewed by any our members or any member of the public anytime,” he said.

He urged the beneficiaries making the allegations to follow proper channels as stated in the cooperative’s constitution.

Mr Mapindani urged members to desist from peddling falsehoods that could affect progress at the project.

Mupamombe Housing Co-operative was formed nearly a decade ago after Government availed 1 000 stands to civil servants to reduce the country’s housing backlog.