Ex-Harare Officials Arrested Over Misappropriation of EU Grant

Former City of Harare Chamber Secretary Josphine Ncube and ex-Director of Works Phillip Mabingo Pfukwa have been arrested and charged with fraud and abuse of office in connection with the misappropriation of a €350,500 (US$465,290) European Union (EU) grant intended for the Mbare Biogas Project.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) confirmed the arrests, alleging the two officials played a central role in the irregular awarding of the lucrative contract. 

By Vongai Masuka 

Ncube and Pfukwa appeared before the Harare Magistrate Court and were subsequently released on $400 bail, with their case remanded to May 14.

The allegations originate from a 2013 EU grant awarded to the City of Harare for the design and construction of biogas digesters and the installation of a 100KVA biogas generator in Mbare.

According to ZACC investigations, in 2015, the City of Harare initiated a public tender process to select a contractor, adhering to the then-operational Procurement Act (Chapter 22:14).

However, investigators allege that Pfukwa and Ncube acted in concert to circumvent established protocols and unlawfully awarded the US$465,290 contract to Synlak Investments (Pvt) Limited, a company owned by Moses Mpofu.

ZACC contends that Synlak Investments lacked the necessary experience to execute the project.

Despite receiving the full contract amount of US$465,290, Synlak Investments allegedly failed to deliver on the project, resulting in financial losses to the City of Harare.

The botched project has raised concerns about the management of donor funds and the integrity of public procurement processes within the municipality.