Zimstats boss buys lavish vehicle for US$300
TANAKA FETINANDI
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption has arrested the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstats) director general Taguma Mahonde for corruption related charges including acquiring a luxurious Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle valued at US$28K for a paltry US$300 after using it for three years.
ZACC spokesperson Thandiwe Mlobane confirmed the arrest but could not immediately give details.
Mahonde was also nabbed for alleged gross corruption and corporate malpractices.
“Investigations are still ongoing,” Mlobane said in confirming the arrest.
It emerged the transaction authorising suspicious sale of the vehicle to Mahonde was authorised by the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) managing director Davison Mhaka.
Mahonde was recently issued with a luxury Land Rover Discovery which was bought in 2021 leading to him owning two vehicles in five years.
This is contrary to principles of good governance that states that officials can only buy vehicles on book value after five years.
Available information also suggests that the Zimstat boss also enjoyed lavish benefits whose funds he failed to produce invoices for, as per standard practice in good governance.
Zimstat is the statistics agency of Zimbabwe.
