The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has confirmed the arrest of Cornious Shumba, Supply Chain Manager at the GMB Cleveland Depot, on charges of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.
According to ZACC, Shumba allegedly sold 190 bags of fertiliser at US$1 per bag, falsely claiming that the stock had expired.
This follows a similar case last month, in which the Harare Magistrates’ Court sentenced Obert Safuli Zhoya, 58, Supply Chain Manager at the GMB Aspindale Depot, to 24 months in prison, with 12 months suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Zhoya will serve an effective 12 months behind bars for criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.
The case against Zhoya involved a scheme in May 2025 in which he attempted to sell 599 bags of Compound D Superfert fertiliser, intended for grain-for-fertiliser swaps with farmers, as if the stock had been written off.
The fertilisers had been transferred from GMB Sadza Depot to GMB Mt Hampden Depot in May 2024.
Zhoya colluded with Madamara Investments (Pvt) Ltd, selling the fertilisers for just USD $600, equivalent to $1 per 50kg bag, despite their actual value being USD $19,168.
He instructed GMB clerks and assistants to generate false receipts and deposit the funds into the GMB account, presenting the transaction as legitimate.
The fraudulent scheme was uncovered when the Mt Hampden Depot Manager verified the stock and discovered that the fertilisers were in good condition and no disposal certificates existed.
Investigations confirmed that the fertilisers had never been written off and were meant solely for the national farmer swap programme.
