Hundreds of civil servants, among them teachers, were left counting their losses after failing to get residential stands despite paying the National Housing Delivery Trust (NHDT) for the stands.
The civil servants, who paid subscriptions to buy stands from NHDT in 2012, are now desperate to get to the organisation’s offices after they did not get their residential stands.
The Mirror reported that NHDT directors allegedly disappeared with thousands of United States dollars of civil servants’ money.
The offices of the organisation disappeared and the directors can no longer be located and stands were not delivered.
The victims of the “scam” told The Mirror that one of the NHDT directors is Goromonzi West MP and aspiring Bikita South MP, Energy Mutodi (ZANU PF) who was the chairperson.
Mutodi, however, said he left the organisation and no longer has anything to do with it. Said Mutodi:
I left that company in 2011. I was the chairperson, but I no longer work for it. As you are aware I am a Member of Parliament and therefore am not allowed to partake in such. The director of that company is Tendai Hangadya. You can contact the person.
He referred the publication to Tendai Hangazha whom he said is now the owner of the organisation.
The Mirror reported that repeated efforts to get through to Hangazha’s number were futile as the number was either on voicemail or went unanswered.
The letter of allocation in the hands of The Mirror indicates the directors as Alma-Louise Gordon, B Chikono, B Chifamba, E. Mutodi, K Bhotsha and OZ Gumbo who are also listed as executives.
Tawonga Musina, a lawyer said that the clients can approach the registrar’s offices for verification of the company’s registration and thereafter file a Police report.
Some of the duped civil servants have reportedly given up after trying for many years to get their money back
According to civil servants who spoke to The Mirror on condition of anonymity, the stands sold by NDHT were mainly in Masvingo and Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) spokesperson Daisy Zambuko confirmed the “scam” but said most of those affected got their money back through the courts.
She, however, did not reveal the number of teachers from her organisation who were affected.
One of the affected teachers told The Mirror that he lost US$1 150 after paying US$100 monthly subscriptions from 2011 for a stand in Riverside.
He said the NHDT offices were at Masvingo Post Office along Emmerson D. Mnangagwa Street but the organisation left without giving any notice to clients in 2014.
More: Pindula News