KEY POINTS

• Six Zimbabwean local government officials face fraud charges over duplicate travel allowances.

• The alleged claims prejudiced the State by ZiG360,644 and local authorities by US$19,419.

• The accused were granted bail and remanded to November 24, 2026.

Six officials from Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, including the ministry’s Chief Director of Local Authorities, Khonzani Ncube, have appeared before a Harare court over allegations of fraud involving duplicate travel and subsistence allowances.

The officials are accused of claiming payments from both the ministry and local authorities for the same assignments, allegedly prejudicing the State by ZiG360,644 and local authorities by US$19,419.

The six were arrested on Friday, November 6, by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) following investigations into the alleged fraudulent claims.

Ncube, 52, appeared before Harare magistrate Learnmore Mapiye alongside five other officials: administrator Pamela Chitengu, Annah Takaendesa, accountant Sebele Likel, Mashonaland East provincial director Maxwell Mabhuro and principal administrator Ruvimbo Chahuruva.

Ncube Faces Additional Abuse of Office Charge

Ncube is facing one count of fraud and an additional charge of criminal abuse of duty. The other five officials are facing fraud allegations.

The court granted the accused bail, setting Ncube’s bail at US$500 and that of the other five officials at US$100 each. They were remanded to November 24, 2026.

According to the State, the case arose from a nationwide Local Authorities Systems Audit launched by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works in April 2025. The exercise covered all 92 local authorities in Zimbabwe.

Under a ministry circular issued for the audit, local authorities were responsible for paying the travel and subsistence expenses of officials deployed to carry out the exercise, while the ministry was expected to provide transportation.

Prosecutors allege that Ncube authorised a request for the ministry to pay travel and subsistence allowances to 54 officials, including herself.

The other five accused were members of the Mashonaland East audit team, which was assigned to inspect 10 local authorities in the province.

The State alleges that the team members claimed and received allowances from both the ministry and the local authorities for carrying out the same audit work.

On May 11, 2025, the officials allegedly submitted travel and subsistence claims to the ministry covering the period from May 11 to May 31. However, prosecutors say they also received allowances, fuel payments and toll fees from the local authorities they were assigned to audit.

Investigators further allege that the team spent 40 actual days working in Mashonaland East between May 12 and June 19, 2025, but submitted claims covering 45 days. This allegedly resulted in five additional days being included in their allowance claims.

Prosecutors also accused the officials of concealing from the ministry that they had already received payments from the local authorities for the same assignment.

The case is expected to return to court on November 24 as proceedings continue. The allegations have yet to be tested in court, and the accused remain entitled to the presumption of innocence.