Zimbabwe police chief Augustine Chihuri, three senior cabinet ministers, governors and an army commander, have been implicated in the alleged looting of a state-sponsored agricultural inputs scheme, plunging this year's farming season into a crisis.
According to the Independent newspaper, Police Commissioner General Chihuri, Agriculture Minister Joseph Made, Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa and Brigadier-General Herbert Chingono are among top influential people who accessed huge tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
Others include Mashonaland West Governor Faber Chidarikire, his predecessor Nelson Samkange, chief magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe and several other officials linked to President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party.
The paper alleges that Chihuri received 80 tonnes of fertilizer from the Shamva GMB depot for use at his Inyika farm, Chidarikire got 60 tonnes, Samkange 42, Kasukuwere 24 and Guvamombe 16. It is not yet clear how much was received by Made and Mutasa.
There was no immediate comment from all those implicated in the scam.
Parliamentary agriculture committee chairman Moses Jiri said the GMB has submitted detailed reports with names of all people who accessed farming inputs this year.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Seiso Moyo said he hopes the parliamentary committee will investigate the alleged looting of farming inputs and make the necessary recommendations.
According to the Independent newspaper, Chihuri, Agriculture Minister Joseph Made, Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa and Brigadier-General Herbert Chingono are among top influential people who accessed huge tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer