A clerk at Highfield Farm in Norton, which is part of Gushungo Holdings owned by the family of the late President Robert Mugabe, has appeared in court on allegations of stealing farm equipment, including a wheel mounted water pump, metal cold room, cultivator frame, pivot and irrigation pipes all worth more than US$100 000.
Gerald Mupatsi was yesterday not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi charged with theft.
According to the State, Mupatsi was responsible for receiving goods into the stores through completion of goods received and issuing out goods through completion of goods out notes on the back of supporting documents.
It is alleged that Mupatsi then stole a combine harvester head trailer at John O’ Groats workshop, Highfield Farm and sold it to Mark Deza of Capensis Farm, Norton for US$1 400.
The court heard that the price, which Mupatsi sold the trailer for was below the reserve price of US$3 500, which was pegged during an auction held in February 2022.
On April 19, 2022, Mupatsi, acting in connivance with Jabulani Dumbura, who has already appeared in court on similar allegations, sold the trailer and failed to receipt the transaction in the company receipt book, as per normal procedure.
Instead, the duo allegedly recorded the sale transaction on Goods Out Receipt number 05459, which resulted in the said head trailer being driven out of the farm the following day.
Gushungo Holdings was prejudiced of US$3 500.
The court also heard that on April 28, Mupatsi and Dumbura allegedly stole a wheel mounted water pump, Lot 58 8 after instructing farm workers to remove it from the auction yard.
They allegedly took it to one Mutanga of Damofalls.
They also allegedly issued a Goods Out Note number 05463, which purported that the pump was going for repairs, although the pump was not faulty.
The pump was worth US$35 000, according to the State.
Mupatsi and Dumbura are also alleged to have teamed up with Farai Jemwa, who is still at large, and stole a metal cold room, cultivator frame, pivot pipes, irrigation, pipes and other components of centre pivot from Highfield Farm and sold them to one Choto, James and Mumanyi.
The items were valued at US$70 000, according to the State.
The offences came to light when Collins Matongo, a police officer working for the Mugabe family, made a visit to the farm on May 16, 2022 and found the items missing. – The Herald
