By Zvikomborero Parafini
A former ZBC reporter was yesterday hauled to court facing theft charges after he allegedly stole agricultural inputs that were supposed to be donated to Chipinge farmers.
Tichaona Meza, 30, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa who released him on $50 bail.
The State led by Owen Safuli alleged that in May, Meza was given 60 bags of fertilizer, 20 bags of caster beans, and 20 bottles of germination activator so that he could distribute to twenty farmers in Chipinge by Life Brand Agric services.
It is alleged that Meza failed to account for nine bags of fertilizer, three bags of the bean seeds as well as three bottles of the germnation activator all valued at US$780.
The shortage prompted one Ellina Katsande to cross check the stock from the garage where she discovered a shortfall of eight bags of fertiliser value at US$400.
It is further alleged that the company received a tip off that Meza was selling the missing products at his place of residence which resulted in a stocktake being taken only to discover a shortfall of 200kgs of caster beans and 17 bags of fertilizers. H-Metro