Prisca Mupfumira, the former Minister of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare, was acquitted yesterday after being charged with defrauding the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) of US$90 million. The charges were related to allegations of criminal abuse of office, which Mupfumira faced alongside Barnabas Matongera, who was acquitted earlier on similar grounds.
Mupfumira was accused of directing NSSA to enter into a housing project with Drawcard Enterprises (Private) Limited (Drawcard) without following proper procedures. She and Matongera allegedly instructed NSSA to proceed with the Mzenya Off-take Housing Scheme without the requisite approval from the NSSA board or compliance with tender procedures, which is mandated by law.
In his ruling, regional magistrate Nduna found that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the case against Mupfumira. As a result, Nduna acquitted her, stating that she could not be held responsible for NSSA’s failure to comply with procurement regulations, as she did not attend board meetings or oversee these procedures. Furthermore, the magistrate emphasized that non-compliance with the internal processes could not be attributed to the accused.
The state had alleged that Mupfumira’s instructions circumvented necessary tender procedures, undermining safeguards meant to protect NSSA’s interests. The prosecution argued that the lack of board approval and proper tender procedures resulted in financial prejudice to NSSA, as it did not benefit from the usual checks and balances.
Following the trial, Mupfumira, who secured one of the Zanu PF senatorial positions in Mashonaland West after the disputed 2023 elections, was cleared of all charges.
