Tobaiwa Mudede Arrested For Stealing Farming Equipment, Kitchen Utensils
One of Zimbabwe’s longest-serving bureaucrats, former Registrar General (RG) Tobaiwa Mudede was on Thursday dragged to court to answer charges of stealing farming equipment and kitchen utensils worth US$10 000 in 2007.
Mudede (70) was hauled before Harare Magistrate Dennis Mangosi for stealing property belonging to one Jacqueline Mukanganyama.
Prosecutors told the court that before stealing the complainant’s property, Mudede had told her that as the RG, he was “untouchable”.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded to 23 June on free bail.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti, appearing for the State, said Mudede was the holder of Plot 1 at Ballinettey Farm.
In 2002 Mukanganyama was offered Plot 10 measuring 70 hectares and started farming there and was also given the responsibility of taking care of the remaining State land and other properties.
In 2007, Mudede was offered subdivisions 1,2,3,4,13 and the remainder of Ballinettey, a total of 712.64ha after a heated boundary dispute between him, Mukanganyama and other neighbours.
Mudede allegedly forcefully went to occupy the farmhouse which was at the boundary of Munkanganyama’s farm and the remaining State Land, which was under her caretakership.
He then evicted Mukanganyama and stole irrigation equipment which included aluminium pipes, a 20-horse power Mono pump, submersible pump and plates.
The value of the stolen property was US$10 000 and nothing was recovered.
Mudede was arrested on Wednesday and subsequently taken to court charged with theft.
