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Yeukai Karengezeka 

Court Correspondent 

SUSPENDED National Social Security Authority (NSSA) director of corporate affairs, David Makwara, was yesterday acquitted of fraud involving US$182 661, which he allegedly siphoned from his employer under a home renovation scheme.

Makwara was facing an accusation of drawing the money to pay a contractor who eventually did not carry out the home renovations. He was found not guilty after a full trial before Harare regional magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei.

Handing down the ruling, Mr Ndirowei said the State failed to prove a case against Makwara based on evidence adduced in court.

He also added that the evidence of State witnesses corroborated Makwara’s defence that there was no element of fraud as everything was done aboveboard.

“The accused maintained his defence and offered evidence in terms of payslips to prove that he was servicing the loan.

Moreover, he tendered evidence proving that indeed renovations were done at his house in Mandara,” Mr Ndirowei said, adding that everything was done aboveboard and in accordance with NSSA housing policy.

The court heard alleged that in August 2021, Makwara misrepresented that Zivo Project Management (Pvt) Ltd was to carry out renovation works worth US$182 661,77 at his home in Mandara.

Further allegations were that he approached Nigel Mahachi, the project manager at Zivo Project Management, to give him a quotation for the proposed renovation work.

Mahachi in turn submitted a bill of quantities to Makwara plus an invoice for US$182 661. Further investigations established that soon afterwards, Makwara submitted the invoice to NSSA for payment and NSSA then transferred the full amount to Zivo Project Management’s BancABC account.

It was alleged that Makwara corruptly directed Mahachi to refund him the money in cash, minus bank charges and any other associated costs.

The State alleged that this was against the NSSA policy and practice, which did not allow a person to be paid money for home improvements directly, unless prior approval had been granted, which was not the position with Makwara.

To raise the actual US dollar bank notes in cash, Zivo Project Management allegedly transferred US$171 600 to an Ecobank account and then Makwara was given hard cash totalling US$165 000.

In early June 2022, Makwara phoned Mahachi inviting him to his house to see some renovations done and sent him some handwritten notes with 15 items to be included on the bill of quantities in case Zivo Project Management would be queried by investigators.

It was the State’s contention that Makwara only wanted to use Zivo Project Management as a vehicle to siphon money from NSSA.

However, the State failed to prove a case against Makwara at the end of a fully contested trial resulting in his acquittal.