A guardian of public funds becomes their plunderer
by BERNARD CHIKETO
IN A CASE that lays bare the rot within Zimbabwe’s governance, a sitting legislator has been charged with brazenly stealing money meant for his poorest constituents.
Darlington Chiwa, the Member of Parliament for Chiredzi West and the very chairman of his constituency’s development fund, was arrested this week on charges of theft.
The allegations, confirmed by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), depict a methodical betrayal of public trust.
Chiwa, investigators say, first engineered absolute control over the constituency’s purse. As chairperson of the Chiredzi West Constituency Development Fund (CDF) committee, he allegedly manipulated other community members into relinquishing their oversight roles, making himself the sole signatory to the account.
This move eliminated any semblance of checks and balances.
The opportunity to loot came in April 2025, when parliament transferred ZWG$1.33 million (approximately $50,000) into the account for local development projects.
According to ZACC, Chiwa promptly diverted the entire sum into his personal accounts. He then embarked on a personal spending spree.
Funds amounting to nearly ZWG$1 million were used to purchase building materials, groceries, shoes and beer for himself. Only a paltry ZWG$270,000—roughly 20% of the total—was directed towards actual constituency projects.
To complete the fraud, the MP is accused of submitting fabricated acquittal documents to parliament. These false returns claimed, in detail, that the full amount had been properly spent on school development projects.
The scheme unravelled only after audits and, it is presumed, whistle-blowers raised alarms.
The arrest is a rare, concrete action by ZACC, an institution often criticised for focusing on small fry. That its target is a parliamentarian from the ruling ZANU-PF party adds a layer of political intrigue.
The case underscores the chronic vulnerability of Zimbabwe’s CDF system, a well-intentioned programme repeatedly sabotaged by graft.
Do you have a story to share? Email bchiketo@gmail.com