BY STAFF REPORTER
Two senior employees of the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) in Hwange, have been charged with the theft of company property valued at US$3 896 000.
Tawanda Mhaka and Ruth Chiyani were arraigned in court following an extensive investigation into the alleged theft, which reportedly involved an accomplice, Hardlife Zimwenje, who remains at large.
The allegations stem from an incident that occurred on the 22 and 23 of August last month, during which a truck was captured on CCTV at the ZPC’s Turbine Hall loading stolen goods. The footage revealed that the loaded items included 15 electric motors, 48 tonnes of brass pipes, and a metal container. Notably, the loading occurred without proper documentation, raising immediate red flags for investigators.
Ruth Chiyani, who serves as a Loss Control Assistant, is accused of overseeing the illegal loading but failed to provide any invoices to justify the movement of the company’s assets.
Tawanda Mhaka, acting as the Stores Officer, allegedly instructed a boilermaker to cut an electric motor and a storage container into smaller pieces to facilitate their loading onto the haulage trucks.
The stolen goods were reportedly transported using trucks hired by Zimwenje, further complicating the network of theft. Both Mhaka and Chiyani were arrested last week , following a comprehensive investigation that revealed substantial evidence against them, including CCTV footage and removal authority documents signed by the defendants.
“According to investigators, the evidence against them is substantial, including CCTV footage and removal authority documents signed by the pair. The pair was remanded to the 26th of September.”the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement.