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Nyore Madzianike 

Senior Court Reporter 

INVESTIGATIONS into former Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye’s six counts of fraud, theft and criminal abuse of office charges, have been completed with the docket having been sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for perusal, a court heard.

Prosecutor Mrs Netsai Mushayabasa yesterday told the court they were expecting to furnish Kagonye with a trial date on her next court appearance date.

Kagonye, who is being represented by lawyer Mr Rungano Mahuni, appeared before regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje, who remanded her to May 20.

She is on $30 000 bail.

Allegations facing the former Labour Minister are that sometime in February 2014, Kagonye approached the Vaduku Housing cooperative and informed its members that she owned a piece of land at Solomio Farm, yet it belonged to ZB bank.

Kagonye went on to tell the cooperative members that she had offered them residential stands on that piece of land, State alleges.

She allegedly then informed members to pay US$10 per square-metre and the value of a stand would be determined by size.

It is alleged that during the same period, Kagonye received US$20 000 from Porte Rodgers the chairperson of the cooperative.

On June 12 2014, the court heard that Kagonye received a further US$14 000 through a bank transfer to her company, Glorious Real Estates, and another US$4 500 in June 2015. 

The cooperative suffered total prejudice of US$38 500, according to the State.

Kagonye allegedly used the same modus operandi and fleeced Shingiriro Housing cooperative US$48 500 and a further US$148 500 received from Solomon Mujuru Housing Cooperative after selling them another piece of land belonging to ZB bank.

She allegedly connived with Nyangui Housing Trust and also defrauded Ruwa residents US$40 000 after misrepresenting that she owned Cloverdale Farm in Goromonzi.

It is further alleged that between June 2018 to July 2020 Kagonye wrote to then Information Communication Technology Minister Supa Mandiwanzira requesting computers to donate to schools in Goromonzi South.

The State alleges that on June 20, 2018 Mandiwanzira then wrote to Potraz requesting facilitation of the donations through its e-learning project to Goromonzi South schools. 

Potraz donated the computers to Kagonye which were collected by her brother Evans Kagonye on her behalf and he signed the collection form.

Potraz made a follow up on the donation, but up to date the computers cannot be accounted for.