By Christopher Makaza
MDC-Alliance Youth Assembly National Secretary for Welfare, Maureen Kademaunga is under fire for allegedly converting to her own personal use close to US$20 000 donated by diasporans towards the upkeep of the three MDC-Alliance female activists, Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chinembiri and Netsai Marowa following their abduction claims in May.
Kademaunga was the one in charge of the welfare of the three activists, while they were in hospital.
The scam allegedly came to light last month after the diasporans who offered a helping hand called the trio to enquire on how they had benefited from the donated funds to which the three expressed ignorance over the said money.
A contact within the MDC-Alliance told this publication that the three activists then confronted Kademaunga who was responsible for mobilisation of the funds to seek clarification. Kademaunga reportedly told them that the funds were being handled by MDC-Alliance Secretary General, Chalton Hwende, Deputy Organising Secretary Happymore Chidziva and former Combined Harare Residents Association Executive Director, Mfundo Mlilo.
The contact revealed that the trio had since written a letter of complaint to MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa over the issue. Chamisa reportedly forwarded the case to the Alliance`s Integrity and Accountability panel headed by the opposition outfit`s lawyer Thabani Mpofu.
According to the contact, there are strong suspicions that Kademaunga and her team might have embezzled more than the said amount considering that a lot of diasporans pledged more than US$50 000 towards the three`s upkeep.
“Kademaunga and her team must have pocketed huge sums of money considering that many MDC-Alliance branches in the diaspora pledged a lot of money towards the cause, especially those in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. I personally believe that the team might have pocketed more than US$50 000,’’ said the contact.
The contact noted that the embezzlement of the funds by the team was surprising considering that the female activists were girlfriends to some of the accused officials.
‘‘Mamombe is co-habiting with Mlilo who bankrolled her campaign for Harare West seat in 2018 using the money he stole from Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), where he was Executive Director. Marova is girlfriend to Chidziva,’’ said the contact.
Mamombe and friends are currently on bail for faking abduction. They allegedly went missing on 13 May after staging an unsanctioned demonstration in Warren Park.
