Three senior officials from the Hurungwe Rural District Council have been sentenced to a total of 174 years in prison for defrauding the council of over $65,000 intended for important infrastructure projects. The High Court found them guilty of fraud.
Luke Kalavina, the council’s CEO, received a 36-year sentence, while engineer Romeo Mupamaonde and his assistant Alfred Makama were each sentenced to 52 years.
These sentences are among the toughest given to public officials for corruption in Zimbabwe.
Investigations revealed that the officials used fake construction claims and misdirected building materials.
They falsely claimed that a private company had built a bridge and authorized a payment of over $18,000, while the real contractor never received any payment.
Additionally, they diverted plumbing materials meant for Chiedza Clinic for personal projects, despite the clinic’s urgent need for repairs.
The total loss to the council was over $47,000, with no funds recovered.
Marvin Matiza, director of Marloshac Investments, was also sentenced to 36 years for his role in the fraud.
Earlier, Mupamaonde and Makama were convicted in a separate case involving another bridge project, receiving 18 years each.
Following these convictions, Remigio Makuwerere has been appointed as the acting CEO of Hurungwe RDC, replacing Kalavina.
The council hopes his leadership will foster development in the district.
