KEY POINTS

• Local Government Chief Director Khonzani Ncube and five colleagues face fraud allegations.

• The alleged duplicate claims involve ZWG360,644 and US$19,419.

• Ncube faces an additional criminal abuse of duty charge, with the case returning to court on November 24.

Zimbabwe’s Chief Director of Local Authorities in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Khonzani Ncube, and five other ministry officials have appeared in court over allegations of fraud involving duplicate travel and subsistence allowance claims.

The accused are alleged to have received payments from both the ministry and local authorities for the same assignments, resulting in an alleged loss of ZWG360,644 to the State and US$19,419 to local authorities.

The six appeared before Harare magistrate Learnmore Mapiye at the Rotten Row Magistrates Court on Friday, November 6, following their arrest by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).

The allegations stem from a nationwide Local Authorities Systems Audit launched by the ministry in April 2025, covering all 92 local authorities in Zimbabwe.

Under the arrangements for the exercise, local authorities were expected to cover the travel and subsistence expenses of officials assigned to the audit, while the ministry provided transportation.

Prosecutors allege that Ncube authorised a request for the ministry to pay allowances to 54 officials involved in the exercise. However, some members of the audit team allegedly submitted additional claims to the local authorities they were assigned to inspect.

The five other accused officials were identified as Pamela Chitengu, Annah Takaendesa, Sebele Likel, Maxwell Mabhuro and Ruvimbo Chahuruva. They were members of the Mashonaland East audit team, which was assigned to inspect 10 local authorities.

The prosecution alleges that the officials received allowances, fuel payments and toll fees from local authorities while also claiming travel and subsistence payments from the ministry for the same work.

Ncube is facing one count of fraud and an additional charge of criminal abuse of duty, while the other five officials are facing fraud charges.

The accused were arrested by ZACC on Friday, November 6, as investigations into the alleged duplicate payments progressed.

In the related court proceedings, Ncube was granted US$500 bail, while the other five officials were each granted US$100 bail. They were remanded to November 24, 2026.

The allegations have not been established in court, and all six officials are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.