Paul Nyathi|While the whole country and the whole world have gone all out sending condolences on the late National Hero and musician Oliver Mtukudzi, former President Robert Mugabe has shockingly remained silent.
The 95 year old former leader of the country emerged on media complaining that he lost US$1 million cash to relatives at his rural home in Zvimba leaving some commentators claiming that perhaps he was not told of Tuku’s death.
Mugabe was captured by the media clarifying that his employees, some of them relatives, had actually stolen US$ 1 million in cash from him and not the US$150 000 that was initially claimed. The money was in a suitcase and was discovered by the employees when they were carrying out their chores at his rural home in Zvimba.
The suspected thieves, Constancia Mugabe (50), Johanne Mapurisa (50) and Saymore Nhetekwa (47), were granted $2000 bail each after they appeared before Chinhoyi magistrate Felix Mawadze earlier this month.
According to the media the court papers state that in 2016, Mugabe packed books in four briefcases which he took to his library at his homestead in Zvimba. He also included a black polo briefcase containing US$1 million which he gave to Constance to look after although he did not tell her what it contained. When Mugabe requested the briefcase in March 2018, Constance said she could not find but promised to look for it.
After learning that the suspects were living luxuriously, Mugabe sent another employee to look for the briefcase. When the briefcase was discovered it now contained only $78 000 instead of $922 000. After the arrest of the suspects, the police discovered that they had purchased many properties which they could not afford.
Mapurisa who is a caretaker bought a house for US$20 000 at Murombedzi Growth Point and registered it in the name of his wife, Noticia Sibindi. He also bought a Toyota Camry for US$6 800 Nheketwa, another caretaker, allegedly bought a Honda Fit. Muhumbe, employed as a groundsman, bought a Honda CRV and registered it in his brother, Emmanuel’s name.
Only US$42 800 was recovered.