More trouble for arrested Cottco bosses 

By Teddy Mkwesha

INCARCERATED Cotton Company of Zimbabwe boss Maxmore Njanji legal woes continue to mount with Mazowe farmers writing a report to Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on how he abused the company’s inputs and property.

The arrest comes at a time when Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa warned the bosses that they should change their ways.

“Those in charge of Cottco must quickly change their ways; there is no time any longer, certainly no patience in us to suffer their reprehensible conduct.

“The cotton, after all, by right belongs to the Government by virtue of input support,” Mnangagwa said.

The report was also copied to the ministry of agriculture.

The farmers alleged that Njanji distributed a total of 2,200 Knapsack sprayers to 120 members of each 18 Zanu- Pf political districts in Mazowe Central, where he is eyeing for the Parliamentary Seat.

“These knapsack sprayers were taken from Cottco inventory to these political districts during the provincial elections campaign. In addition to that he has also distributed 300 bicycles and 20 motor bikes, again taken from Cottco to back his campaign for Parliamentary seat,” read the letter.

“We believe that these “donations” were not sanctioned by the Board and indeed in violation of the Public Finance Act. He has managed to do this using his seniority at Cottco and this smack of abuse of office. It is, without doubt, that this has been done not to popularize the President (neither Cottco) but for his political aggrandizement.”

ZACC spokesperson John Makamure confirmed that the corruption body received the letter.

Njanji together with Cottco’s managing director Pious Manamike were arrested on Thursday by ZACC on allegations of money laundering and corruptly concealing from a principal a personal interest in a transaction.

“It is alleged that Manamike who owns a trucking company trading as Eternal Resources, engaged the services of his own company from the first 1st of December 2019 to 17 June 2022 to transport inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme on at least 3 150 occasions to various Cottco Depots around the country,” ZACC spokesperson John Makamure.

“Similarly, Njanji, who owns Chita One Logistics, also transported more inputs during the same period on 3 500 occasions. The two did not declare their interest during the course of their duties.”