215 drums of tar for Harare–Beitbridge Highway expansion stolen

CHIVHU – In what has become a great curse for Zimbabwe’s development, corruption; 215 drums or 23 000 litres of tar have gone missing at a Ministry of Transport and Infarastructure, Development deport  in Chivhu and Police have not ruled out an inside job.

The tar is for one of the Government’s major projects to expand Harare-Beitbridge Highway which has outlived its lifespan as it has become dangerous and a source of endless fatal accidents. The matter was reported to Police.
The Mirror has established that the value of the tar is RTGS 1million.
Mash East Police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the case of the missing tar but could not say when it was stolen.
The Minister of Transport Joel Biggie Matiza said he was in a meeting when contacted for  comment.
The Mirror has established that Chivhu Deport received a total of 250 drums of tar each holding 200 litres on March 4, 5 and 6. The drums were offloaded outside Chivhu Ministry of Transport at Chivhu deport but they were not officially handed over to anyone for safekeeping.
The Mirror gathered that security details safeguarding other ministry equipment were not advised to also protect the drums.
On April 8, Tendai Nyangwande who is a clerk at the Chivhu depot, visited the site and found out that 215 drums of tar were missing and then made a Police report.