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Farai Kuvirimirwa Herald Reporter
Midlands State University is up in arms with 347 lecturers and staff members after the institution withheld their monthly contributions amounting to US$105 000 it was supposed to channel towards the purchase of residential stands.
The lecturers are now on the verge of losing their stands.
The employees were beneficiaries of Hertfordshire and Woodlands housing schemes and the MSU allegedly garnished US$100 from the 347 workers’ salaries for three months which were supposed to be remitted to River Valley Properties for the servicing of the stands.

River Valley Properties has since filed a police report after efforts to recover the money were fruitless.
MSU faces theft charges and contravening Section 113 (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9.23 under case number CR181/8/14.

MSU registrar Mr Erasmus Mupfiga confirmed that MSU withheld money which was supposed to be remitted to River Valley Properties.
Mr Mupfiga said the project had attracted negative publicity following an ownership wrangle between the developer and the owner of land.

“The institution withheld US$100 365,00. The beneficiaries are contributing US$100 per month.The project had attracted negative publicity relating to the ownership of the land and the property developer was not forthcoming with a proper explanation,” he said.

“Beneficiaries have been withdrawing on a regular basis, from May 2014 and to date 93 beneficiaries have withdrawn and more are still withdrawing.”
Mr Mupfiga dismissed reports that the MSU was summoned by the police over the matter.

River Valley Properties Director, Mrs Smelly Dube said the matter was likely to spill into the courts.
Efforts to get a comment from Midlands police were fruitless.