Mberengwa East MP Tasara Hungwe Arrested Over CDF Misuse

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has confirmed the arrest of the Member of Parliament for Mberengwa East, Tasara Hungwe (ZANU PF), on charges of concealing a personal interest in transactions linked to the use of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

ZACC said on Friday, 27 March 2026, that Hungwe appeared before Mberengwa Magistrate’s Court and was remanded out of custody to 1 April 2026.

Earlier this week, media reports indicated that Hungwe was under investigation after allegedly diverting over ZiG 1.3 million from the CDF to the account of a microfinance company, which reportedly paid him in United States dollars.

Hungwe, a first-term MP elected in 2023, is also a director of two companies – Tatiude (Pvt) Ltd and Matquick Hardware (Pvt) Ltd.

It is alleged that Mberengwa East received ZiG 1,341,500 (about US$53,000) under the CDF on 14 August 2025. Soon after, Hungwe transferred ZiG 799,641.32 to Tatiude and ZiG 440,171.37 to Matquick Hardware, both linked to him.

The funds were then allegedly moved to Simbaramabwe Construction and Hardware (Pvt) Ltd – ZiG 760,000 from Tatiude and ZiG 361,000 from Matquick – which in turn channelled the money to Success Microfinance, where investigators reportedly lost the trail. Authorities suspect Hungwe was paid in US dollars.

CDF allocations are intended to fund pre-approved constituency projects, managed by a local committee that includes the area senator, proportional representation MP, selected councillors, and traditional leaders. Committee members operate a designated account and are authorised signatories.

Hungwe is the third ZANU PF MP to be arrested for allegedly misusing CDF allocations this year.

In January, Chiredzi West MP Darlington Chiwa was arrested for allegedly diverting over ZiG 990,000 (around US$50,000 at the April 2025 exchange rate) from the constituency account into his personal accounts.

Chiwa is accused of spending the money on personal items, including beer, shoes, groceries, and building materials, with only a small portion going toward constituency projects. His case is still pending.

Chiredzi South MP Joel Sithole (ZANU PF) has also been charged with abuse of duty for allegedly misappropriating more than ZiG 1.2 million from his CDF allocation.

According to ZACC, Sithole received ZiG 1,234,150 (equivalent to US$50,000) from Parliament in August 2025 for development projects, including constructing a classroom block and roofing staff houses at Gwaseche Primary School and Makanani Clinic.

Sithole allegedly acted in common purpose with Edson Chauke, who is still at large, transferring ZiG 850,000 from the CDF account to a local wholesaler for groceries. He is also accused of spending ZiG 418,516 at grocery shops, hotels, and beer outlets.

On Thursday, Sithole was granted US$500 bail by the Masvingo Magistrates’ Court and was remanded to 24 April 2026.