Antony Chawagarira
MASVINGO — LINDA Chinoda, the Director of Finance, Administration and Human Resources at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), finds herself embroiled in legal issues after allegedly coercing an accountant to process a US$600 travel and subsistence (T&S) allowance.
Chinoda was brought before the Masvingo Magistrates’ Court on charges of misusing public funds. According to State allegations, she submitted incomplete and fraudulent T&S allowance claim forms on January 20, 2024, despite not participating in the Chivi District Accounts Verification Exercise from October 1 to 10, 2023.
The court heard that Chinoda pressured the district accountant to include her claim while withdrawing funds from the Chivi Better Schools Programme (BSPZ) account at CBZ Bank, leading to the unauthorsed payment. Reports indicate that Chinoda, along with a District Schools Inspector, used intimidation tactics to force the accountant into compliance, resulting in the accountant’s suspension when he resisted.
Further investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) revealed that Chinoda was not present during the verification exercise for which she claimed the allowance, as she was engaged in activities in other districts.
The prosecutor highlighted that Chinoda’s actions contravened the Public Finance Management Act, which requires public officials to ensure the lawful and transparent use of public resources. It was noted that schools in the Chivi District incurred a financial loss of US$600, with no recovery of the funds.
The case was adjourned to March 19, 2025.
New Ziana
