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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
A former secretary to group commercial director at Rainbow Tourism Group will perform 420 hours of community service for stealing $31 822 in inflated employee travel and subsistence allowances. Clotilda Mandienga (32) of Cold Comfort in Harare pleaded not guilty to fraud and theft of trust property charges when she appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo last Friday.

She was however, convicted on overwhelming evidence. Mr Makomo initially sentenced Mandienga to three years in prison, but later suspended a year on condition of good behaviour. Another year was suspended on condition that she performs 420 hours of community service at Cold Comfort Primary School. The remaining year was also suspended on condition that she restitutes Rainbow Tourism Group of $31 822.

Mandienga, now a teacher at a school in Harare, pleaded for the court’s lenience. She said she was employed as a teacher at Gateway Primary School earning $800. “I have twins aged one year 11 months and they still need my care. My husband is hypertensive and is hospitalised. “I am a breadwinner taking care of my parents. Can the court be lenient in giving its sentence,” she said in mitigation.

The complainant was the Rainbow Tourism Group represented by its systems manager, Mr Godwill Zhovha. Mandienga’s duties included processing travel allowances on behalf of employees. Prosecuting, Mr George Manokore proved that sometime in February last year Mandienga misrepresented to the company that employees had spent a number of nights at various hotels and needed to be awarded travel and subsistence allowances.

The accused deliberately inflated the number of nights and money due to the travelling employees. She misrepresented to Air Zimbabwe that purchase orders for air travel fees for employees were issued by the Rainbow Tourism Group. She forged complementary vouchers for clients and swindled $25 692 in the process. Nothing was recovered.

This was after six Rainbow Tourism Group employees went on a business trip outside the country in May last year. As part of her duties Mandienga paid in advance accommodation allowances for the six. However, on their return the six reimbursed the money they did not use on accommodation to the company. Mandienga was handed R8 000 for remittance to the finance department but she converted it to her own use.