Employees misuse ZC funds

The Zimbabwean on Sunday is reliably informed that the profits from the company were enjoyed by the individuals involved, but never benefited ZC. A considerable sum of US Dollars changed hands in the purchase of Tatu and police have been alerted to the fraud.

Tatu was purportedly purchased as a ZC subsidiary to internally carry out graphics and printing jobs for ZC in order to cut costs. Its directors and shareholders are Ozias Bvute, ZC’s controversial managing director, former ZC marketing executive Andrew Muzamhindo and ZC media manager Lovemore Banda. The other known director is Nqobile Magwizi, a friend of Bvute and the company’s previous owner.

Muzamhindo had to resign from ZC to take up the post of Tatu’s managing director, although he has since quit the venture under unclear circumstances.It appears that Tatu was nothing but a private business project for the individuals despite their use of ZC equipment such as cars, fuel, furniture and computers. ZC’s bloated media department worked from the company’s offices for some time.The Zimbabwean on Sunday has been told that Tatu cashed in on millions of dollars by billing ZC for jobs with inflated invoices. Some of the paid jobs included newspaper and television adverts, coaching manuals, journals and match tickets. Payments made by ZC are believed to have been pocketed by Tatu’s shareholders.

Tatu also publishes a sports magazine, Sportlight, with ZC meeting the printing costs. The last edition of the magazine was printed in China. The magazine, dominated by football content, has been making losses.
ZC chiefs are accused of ravaging the once prestigious sport through rampant corruption. A recent audit by an International Cricket Council auditor uncovered serious financial irregularities, but no one was fingered.
The association’s bosses enjoy Zanu (PF) patronage, which has previously saved them from being ousted by genuine stakeholders. The self-enriching top brass is known to intimidate critics by claiming to be linked to the CIO and top government officials.

Recently, former British sports minister and chair of UK’s parliamentary committee on Zimbabwe, Kate Hoey, described Zimbabwe Cricket as an extension of worst aspects of Mugabe’s regime.