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Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga

Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
Former Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Tabeth Kanengoni-Malinga was yesterday named as the recipient of part of the $20 000 allegedly stolen from the Mighty Warriors trip to Ghana.

The money was meant to buy air tickets for the team to fly to Ghana.

National Football Association of Zimbabwe board member Cecilia Gambe, who was testifying in court yesterday, said Zimbabwe Women Football’s financial records were doctored to cover up the scam.

She said suspended Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League chairperson Miriam Sibanda (54) and her two accomplices – Benny Mamoche (45) and Fungai Magoswongwe (35) who were board members – doctored financial records, which indicated that the former deputy minister received $2 186 for airfare.

“Transport was donated by Herentals College, and airfares for the deputy minister were catered for by the Treasury,” she said.

“There was no need for the deputy minister to be given money for airfare by the association. Signatures of some of the players were forged to indicate they were paid whilst none of them received the money.”

Gambe also disowned records produced in court, which also indicated allowances for players and transport hire charges amounting to $15 800.

Prosecutor Ms Nancy Chandakona asked Gambe why she believed the financial record was tampered with, and she said the record on allowances for the trip to Ghana did not indicate allowances for the physiotherapist, team doctor and team manager.

Provincial magistrate Ms Vongai Muchuchuti remanded the matter to June 23.

The trio is facing theft of trust property.

It is alleged that Sibanda, Mamoche and Magoswongwe had the responsibility of sourcing for donations for the national team.

They allegedly approached Freda Rebecca Mine in Bindura and requested for a donation in cash to cater for air tickets for the Mighty Warriors’ trip to Ghana.

It is alleged that they received $20 000 from Freda Rebecca Mine.

However, the money was not remitted to the Zimbabwe Football Association (now NFAZ)) finance manager but instead the trio shared it among themselves.