Tomana blocking arrest of Chombo and Kasukuwere
By Lance Guma
HARARE- Attorney General Johannes Tomana is blocking the arrest of two ZANU PF government ministers, one accused of abusing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the other of corruptly acquiring council land, among other things.
SW Radio Africa can today reveal that Youth and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo should have been arrested when other MP’s were picked up for allegedly abusing the CDF funds.
In the last thirty days three MDC-T legislators, Marvelous Khumalo, Albert Mhlanga and Cleopas Machacha, plus Zanu PF’s MP for Magunje, Franco Ndambakuwa, were all arrested on allegations they had diverted funds from parliament which were meant for development projects in their constituencies.
SW Radio Africa understands the Attorney General rushed to stop the Anti-Corruption Commission from carrying out more arrests because two key individuals in the ZANU PF regime were next in line. Tomana tried to justify his directive by arguing that all MP’s should be audited first before any arrests.
According to Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga, 10 MPs — six from Zanu PF and four from MDC-T — failed to submit returns to prove how they had used the US$50,000 they had each received from the CDF in 2010. Concern has already been expressed that only one out of six ZANU PF legislators has been arrested.
We have information that alleges that Kasukuwere diverted the US$50,000 given to him by claiming that a company owned by his sister had provided a ‘service’ in his constituency. “The Anti-Corruption Commission has already completed its ‘docket’ on Kasukuwere but Tomana is sitting on it,” a source told us.
SW Radio Africa has in the past reported how Kasukuwere owns nine farms, despite claims by Mugabe’s regime that they seized white owned land to give to landless blacks.
Confidential documents sent to us showed how he owns part of Pimento Farm in Mashonaland Central, South Bamboo Creek in Shamva, Cornucopia Farm Orchard, 500 hectares of Harmony Farm in Mazowe, Bretton Farm, Allan Grange Farm, Auchenburg Farm, Bamboo Creek Farm and Bourne Farm.
Pimento was seized from white farmer Oliver Newton, South Bamboo Creek from farmers N. Richardson and R. Morkel, while Kasukuwere reportedly seized the Cornucopia Farm Orchard from Interfresh in 2006. His brother Donald Kasukuwere also helped himself to two farms, Usaka in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central and Sangokwe North in Mwenezi.
In addition to the farms Kasukuwere is also involved in oil procurement and distribution, owning ComOil (Pvt) Ltd. He has also managed to so run down United Touring Company (UTC) that it is in serious financial difficulties. He also has substantial shareholdings in Genesis Bank and Interfresh (Pvt) Ltd.
In 2009 he was accused of trying to block fresh investment in the energy sector to force companies like BP and Shell to sell their assets to his oil company.
Chombo’s wealth was exposed in 2010 in a messy divorce involving his wife of 25 years, Marian. Court documents exposed the fact that Chombo, a former teacher, had tentacles in virtually all sectors of the economy.
The minister has interests in several farms, mines, hunting safari lodges in Chiredzi, Hwange, Magunje and Chirundu, as well as properties in South Africa. Local properties included 75 residential and commercial stands plus 14 houses and 5 flats, all dotted around the country. Not to mention 15 vehicles.
Even when a probe team of Harare City Councillors produced a report implicating Chombo and businessman Philip Chiyangwa in the illegal acquisition of council land on the cheap, the police refused to investigate the matter. Instead the councillors and journalists who covered the saga were arrested. SW Radio Africa
