Zinara boss in court
Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) chief executive Nkosinathi Ncube yesterday appeared in court facing four counts of defeating the course of justice after he and his directors allegedly unlawfully transferred four head office subordinates who are helping investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).
Ncube (45) appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Trynos Utahwashe, who granted him $10 000 bail.
The matter was deferred to December 17.
According to the State, between 7 and 26 October, 2020, Ncube and executives Abel Zvandasara and Gilfern Moyo — who are already on remand on charges of intending to defeat or obstruct the course of justice — transferred Jeremiah Singende to the Skyline tollgate along the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.
It is also alleged they transferred Munyaradzi Tongoona to the Eskbank tollgate, Tonderai Marange to Infralink, and Nathaniel Tembo to management accounting from the head office finance department.
The court heard they did this knowing Zacc was investigating allegations of criminal abuse of office and that the complainants were assisting with investigations.
It is the State’s case that the transfers were calculated to prejudice the four as they had given Zacc information concerning potentially corrupt practices at the State entity by senior executives.
Zvandasara and Moyo were granted the same amount of bail each, with the same conditions.
They claimed they were being victimised for implementing board resolutions and policies that resulted in some employees being transferred from head office.
The two challenged their placement on remand, saying their actions were aboveboard and in line with labour laws.
The pair produced board resolutions and recommendations from a human resources consultant, recommending a new structure that saw over 20 employees being transferred or reassigned.
Through their lawyer, Mr Oscar Gasva, Zvandasara and Moyo said it was surprising that of the transferred workers, only four who work in the cash office raised allegations of victimisation at Zacc, when the exercise was sanctioned by the board.
Through their lawyer, the two submitted that the four making the complaints were now on the run after it emerged they were allegedly implicated in a US$21 000 fuel levy scandal. The Herald.
