A top Chiredzi Town Council official was found guilty of criminal abuse of office and given 280 hours of community service for illegally selling a residential stand given to a retired employee as a bonus.
The Chiredzi Magistrate Court found Emily Paradza, 55, guilty of crimes between April 26, 2019, and January 31, 2019.
She used to be the Director of Housing and Community Services.
According to National Prosecuting Authority , the court heard that Paradza abused her power by helping to sell a stand that should have been owned by a former council worker who had worked for the city for 30 years.
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The prosecutors said that her actions were a clear breach of ethical leadership and that she cheated the retired worker out of his due benefits.
The case is part of ongoing attempts to stop corruption in local government. Authorities want to make sure that public officials are responsible for their actions.
People in the area have different feelings about the court’s decision to use community work as a punishment. Others see it as a good step towards beating corruption, while others think the punishment is too light for how bad the crime was.
There are growing concerns about corruption in Zimbabwe’s local councils, and watchdog groups are asking for stricter rules to stop public officials from abusing their power for personal gain.
