Liniah Chinoda, the Provincial Finance Director for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, has been taken to court for allegedly claiming US$600 in travel and subsistence allowances for a trip she did not attend.
The funds in question came from the Better Schools Programme Fund, which is financed by contributions from schools under the Better Schools Programme Zimbabwe (BSPZ).
Chivi District Education accountant, Tapiwa Mapindani, was reportedly suspended after resisting pressure to process Chinoda’s allowance claim, which was later found to be fraudulent.
Chinoda appeared before Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzi on Friday, facing charges of abuse of duty. Represented by lawyer Yolander Chandata from H Tafa and Associates, she was remanded out of custody and is set to return to court on March 19.
According to the prosecution, Chinoda was engaged in activities in Bikita, Gutu, and Zaka at the time of the event for which she claimed the allowance, which took place in Chivi. The fraudulent claim was uncovered following an investigation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
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On January 20, 2024, Chinoda, who oversees financial administration in the province, allegedly breached her duties by submitting an incomplete and inaccurate travel and subsistence claim.
She reportedly handed the US$600 claim form to Chivi District Schools Inspector Evershine Ndongwe, who then pressured Mapindani to process it as part of funds withdrawn for a Chivi Accounts Verification exercise. However, the verification—conducted in October 2023—was meant for individuals who had actually attended, not for those who were absent, such as Chinoda.
Despite not participating in the exercise, Chinoda allegedly secured the unauthorized allowance from a US$5,290 withdrawal from the Chivi BSPZ bank account. Both she and Ndongwe are accused of using threats and intimidation to force Mapindani into approving the claim. When he resisted, he was allegedly threatened with dismissal and later suspended.
The case has raised concerns over abuse of authority and financial mismanagement within the Education Ministry, with further investigations ongoing.
