Zanu PF Manicaland Provincial Leadership Under Fir...

Zanu PF Manicaland Provincial Leadership Under Fire for Appointing Alleged Fraudster Moses Ruwona

Zim Now Writer

The Zanu PF Manicaland Provincial leadership is facing severe criticism for incorporating alleged fraudster Moses Ruwona into its ranks. Sources revealed that Ruwona was co-opted into the provincial leadership without thorough vetting, despite him facing allegations of fraud and money laundering.

Last week, Ruwona was appointed as the Secretary for Science and Economic Development at the Provincial Coordinating Committee. A source told Zim Now that the the appointment has sparked widespread outrage and allegations of negligence within the party’s leadership.

Ruwona's criminal allegations date back to December 2022, when Aubrey Chademana, the complainant, secured a contract from Liquid Telecommunications Holdings (Pvt) Limited in Zimbabwe to supply outdoor Wi-Fi routers. Chademana was to import these routers from Liquid Telecommunication Holdings in Mauritius.

According to court documents, on December 8, Chademana enlisted Ruwona to handle the payment using his offshore foreign currency account. Prosecutors allege that on the same day, Chiweshe received US$630,400 from Chademana and forwarded it to Ruwona to settle the bill. However, Ruwona allegedly provided a falsified proof of payment, claiming to have transferred the funds from his Zambian account to Liquid Telecommunications Mauritius' Standard Bank.

On January 20 and February 3, 2023, Ruwona and Chiweshe again sent Chademana fake proofs of payment. It wasn't until March 7 that the duo successfully transferred US$280,332 and US$132,151.24 to Liquid Telecommunications Mauritius, but they failed to account for the remaining US$218,249.

In a similar scheme, they allegedly defrauded a local money transfer agency of US$256,000 in a transaction purportedly for importing fabric material.

Moses Ruwona in 2023 appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi and was jointly charged with Macmillan Chiweshe for fraudulent activities.

The appointment has been met with backlash from both the public and within Zanu PF. Critics argue that the inclusion of Ruwona in the leadership undermines the party’s integrity and commitment to good governance. Calls for a re-evaluation of the vetting process for leadership positions have intensified, with many demanding stricter scrutiny to prevent similar incidents in the future.

As the scandal unfolds, the Zanu PF Manicaland Provincial leadership is under increasing pressure to address these serious allegations and restore public trust.

Ruwona has previously been embroiled in allegations of subverting party processes after it was alleged that there were some grey areas in the transfer of his membership from another province to Manicaland with questions raised on the veracity of his presented party history against the records.