An ex-convict Municipality of Gwanda ZANU PF councillor who was once Minister Obert Mpofu’s right hand man before defrauding the minister of over $40 000 has defrauded the Municipality of thousands of dollars and threatens to expose fellow councillors and ZANU PF heavyweights’ corrupt activities in the town if he is suspended from council.
Councillor for Ward 9 in Gwanda town, Thulani Moyo who was dumped by Obert Mpofu for allegedly misappropriating rentals from the minister’s property has been found to have swindled the municipality of thousands of dollars in housing scam.
An audit has unearthed a massive scandal at Doerfontein Township in which the council lost thousands of dollars in underhand deals throwing the Zanu PF led municipality into turmoil.
Latest full council minutes show that the Councillor, Thulani Moyo and housing director, Sipho Mdlongwa, face suspensions after the audit committee recommended that appropriate action be taken against the duo.
The audit report reveals that the department of housing led by Mdlongwa supplied incorrect information on the status of stands number 6550 and 6447 which were declared vacant although investigations later showed they had been sold by Councillor Moyo.
Moyo, who is also the chairperson of the Housing Committee, was once convicted for fraud and served five years imprisonment at Khami Prison at the turn of the century before he was elected councillor in 2013.
“The two stands were clandestinely allocated to Councillor Thulani Moyo and the municipality lost $4 808.15. Evidence was produced in the meeting to the effect that Thulani Moyo went on to sale the two stands he had fraudulently obtained,” council minutes read.
Investigations by media revealed that Moyo sold the two stands to one Ignatius Nyirenda. According to the affidavits he penned, both stands were sold for $8, 000 each with Moyo receiving a total of $4 700 when the deal was sealed and balance due at a later stage.
The audit report further reveals that some stands could have been systematically concealed by the department of housing. According to the audit report there is an example “a client being entered into the beneficiary database as Ndondo John W, John Wittington Ndondo and John W Ndondo and with each variation of his name a different stand was assigned to him, yet in essence he had paid for only one stand.”
Moyo is not new to controversy having been dumped by minister Mpofu for allegedly misappropriating over $40 000 rentals from his Gwanda properties.
He is not known to be flashy after he once took the elderly from Gwanda on a trip to Chipangali in Bulawayo and bought some municipality workers uniforms. He is also known of making heavy donations at every funeral in the town and always has large sums of money in his pockets.
Moyo has, however, since being dumped by Mpofu fallen on hard times and his wife’s car almost went under the hammer last week after being seized by the messenger of court.
The Moyos reportedly made a last minute settlement for the Toyota Harrier to be spared.
Auditors have recommended that mayor Knowledge Ndlovu and town clerk Priscilla Nkala take appropriate action against Moyo and Mdlongwa. Moyo, however, has reportedly threatened to spill the beans on other councillors if they dare suspend him.
The municipality of Gwanda has in the past made questionable housing deals with Mornef Construction, a contractor who has won vast land in the Matebeleland South capital.