A 42-year-old man from Raffingora in Mashonaland West province is set to appear in court following his recent arrest for selling fertiliser he got courtesy of government’s command agriculture scheme.
Jonathan Chizanga, who operates a shop at Kamwanza township, Raffingora is now facing charges of contravening Section six of the Agricultural Marketing Authority (Command Agriculture Scheme for domestic crop, livestock and fisheries production) Statutory Instrument 79/17 which relates to “unlawful sale, purchase and possession of agriculture inputs.”
According to court papers seen by NewZimbabwe.com, on December 6, 2021 around lunchtime, the informant Michael Changa, who is employed by the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) as accounts clerk, was at Kamwanza township where he noticed some Compound L fertiliser outside Chizanga’s shop.
He informed his supervisors of the issue.
A team of Cottco employees proceeded to the shop where they masqueraded as customers, before inquiring on the price of a bag of Compound L fertiliser and were told it cost US$20.
The next day, Changa was given US$20 at his workplace and went to accused person’s shop where he bought one bag of the fertiliser, which they kept as exhibit.
A report was made to police leading to the recovery of eleven other bags of Compound L fertilizer at Chizanga’s store.
Total value of the recovered 12x50kg fertilizer is US$300.
Chizanga is expected to appear in court on summons.