HARARE – Former Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye has been sentenced to 16 months imprisonment by Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti.
This follows her conviction on Wednesday for diverting into her own use, some 20 computers which were donated through her by POTRAZ to benefit schools in the Zanu PF politician’s Goromonzi South constituency in 2018.
Muchuchuti sentenced Kagonye to 36 months in jail before setting aside 12 months for five years on condition of good behaviour.
A further eight months were set aside on condition she restitutes US$10 000 equivalent to the laptops she stole.
The politician courted trouble back in June 2018 when she wrote to then ICT Minister Supa Mandiwanzira requesting computers to donate to schools in her constituency.
On June 20, 2018 Mandiwanzira then wrote to POTRAZ requesting facilitation of the donations through its e-learning project to Goromonzi South schools.
POTRAZ donated the computers to Kagonye who sent her brother Evans Kagonye to collect them on her behalf.
POTRAZ later made a follow up on the donation but the computers could not be accounted.
Kagonye becomes a rare case of imprisonment involving a top Zanu PF official.
Other Zanu PF officials who have been prosecuted for acts of corruption by Zimbabwean courts still walk free.
They include former Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo, former Public Service Minister Prisca Mupfumira, former Energy Minister Samuel Undenge as well as former legislator Psychology Mazivisa.
