The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa Chipinge Correspondent
THE Chipinge Youth Housing Scheme has started identifying stands to hand over to youths who were last year duped over US$400 000 by a syndicate led by former Zanu-PF provincial youth leader Mubuso Chinguno.
Chinguno was a key member of the G40 cabal in Manicaland, and vicious critic of President Mnangagwa, whose eminence abruptly ended with a suspension over allegations of misappropriating US$400 000 meant to service the residential stands.
The ongoing verification exercise saw scores of youths thronging Chipinge Town Council open space this week for authentication of their subscriptions to the scheme.
In an interview, the scheme vice chair Mr Ashirai Mawere said the aim of the audit exercise was to validate the exact number of people duped and the amount lost in the stands scam.
He said after the stands audit, those responsible for ripping of intended beneficiaries brought to book.
“Yes, I can confirm that we have started the process to verify and identify the youth who were swindled in the stands scam we suspect was masterminded by the Chinguno-led provincial youth committee. Since the beginning of this week we have registered over 1500 intended beneficiaries who paid their subscription fees but were not allocated their stands.
“The affected youths are from all the five constituencies in Chipinge, and the number is continuing swelling. After completing the exercise, we will then convene a meeting with all the victims, where we expose more people involved in the misappropriation of funds,” he said.
In 2016, Chipinge youth were allocated 350 hectares of Retveil Farm in Chipinge town meant to establish youth villages while Chipinge rural district council also avail 50 hectares at Checheche Growth Point for the same purpose.
The stands were expected to benefit over 10 000 youths, but the programme did not go well after over US$400 000 subscription money was allegedly embezzled.
