The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Friday, October 3, 1997 — Revelations of corruption in the government’s war victims compensation office surfaced again yesterday with a witness testifying before a judicial commission that an officer assisted him and at least four others in speedily accessing disability pensions in return for bribes.

Lameck Matsikinya, who was awarded $278 040, 58 for injuries he claimed were sustained while an ex-combatant in the liberation war and was awaiting to receive an additional $139 552,64 for chronic genital disorder and impotency and post traumatic stress disorder, had all his claims quickly processed with the assistance of Ms Yula Mawumbe of the Pensions Office.

Matsikinya, on bail of $5 000 on a charge of fraud arising from alleged falsification of his compensation claims, told the 11-member panel headed by High Court judge Mr Justice Chidyausiku that he paid Ms Mawumbe a total of $30 000 on three separate occasions for her efforts to get his compensation claim approved and paid.

Matsikinya claimed to have been a collaborator who went to Mozambique with some ex-combatants who operated in his home area of Headlands.

He said the ex-combatants trained him in the use of firearms and he ate poisoned food and was injured during an enemy bomb attack while he was in their company in Mozambique at Tembwe Zanla camp.

But the State case against Matsikinya is that he was never an ex-combatant but worked as a taxi driver in Rusape during the war.

Now employed as a staff sergeant in the Presidential Guard, Matsikinya insisted that he was entitled to compensation for his role in the war and had sought assistance from Ms Mawumbe to have his claims processed.