Petronella Kagonye

Service/Career

In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Goromonzi South returned to Parliament:

• Petronella Kagonye of Zanu PF with 17 234 votes or 58.00 percent,
• Milton Bene of MDC–T with 11 102 votes or 37.36 percent,
• Chiedza Makusha of MDC–N with 1 380 votes or4.64 percent,

Total 29 716 votes

Positions Held

Kagonye was Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development until 2014. ^[1]

Events

Dismissal from party

In 2014, Kagonye was dismissed from Zanu PF after she was associated with a faction alleged to be led by former Vice President Joice Mujuru. Kagonye was also given a vote of no confidence in her constituency where residents demonstrated against her accusing her of fanning factionalism. She was reinstated back into the party when she was appointed Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services in Zimbabwe's government in December 2017. ^[1]

Business Interests

Kagonye runs a company named Glorious Properties. ^[1]

Land Grab Allegations

Kagonye served in the Zanu PF’s Women’s League and was fingered in many land grab scandals in her constituency where she is alleged to be a bigwig land baron and has been involved in vote-buying in exchange for land.^[1]

Farm Mechanisation Scheme

In July 2020, Petronella Kagonye was listed, in the BSR of 18 July 2020, as a beneficiary in the 2007 RBZ Farm Mechanisation Scheme, as a result of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme.

The data is analysed by recipients origin:.

• Mashonaland provinces had the most beneficiaries, both in terms of numbers and value.
  

Mashonaland East got US$47,5 million,
Mashonaland West US$44,7 million
Mashonaland Central had US$34,2 million.

• Two Matebeleland provinces had a combined total of US$13,9 million.
• Masvingo US$26,4 million,
• Manicaland US$18 million
• Midlands US$14 million.

Petronella Kagonye is listed under the thematic group “Politicians”. According to the list, she got a loan of US$94,761.00. ^[2]

Arrest 2021

Former Labour, Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye has been arrested on 7 February 2021 on allegations of fraud. Zimbabwe Republic Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest saying she was facing charges related to illegal parcelling out of state land.^[3] Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) head Mr Tabani Mpofu (SACU) confirmed the arrest and said further details would be released later.^[4]

The former Labour minister Petronella Kagonye was granted ZW$30 000 bail by Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje on 9 February 2021. The state, represented by Michael Reza did not oppose bail. The investigating officer said Kagonye was not a flight risk. She was said to be also breastfeeding a 7-month-old baby.

On 30 March 2022, Petronella Kagonye was acquitted on two counts of fraud by a Harare magistrate. In her ruling, Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro said the investigating officer and the State indicated that there was no sufficient evidence to build a case against Kagonye.

Kagonye was accused of defrauding Shingiriro Housing Cooperative of US$18 000 after she allegedly received money promising them residential stands.

A bookkeeper, who was supposed to testify during the trial is said to be outside the country and Guwuriro stated that the evidence of Joyce Chiroodza, the complainant, was not enough to sustain the allegations. She also said the documents of the cooperative were also not enough. The magistrate also noted that the other matters were withdrawn by the complainants who alleged that they were forced to report lies against the accused. Kagonye was facing three counts of fraud and she was acquitted on two counts but the magistrate said she has a case to answer on the third count.

On the third count, Kagonye was accused of taking 20 computers from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) for her constituency. The magistrate ruled that Kagonye should reveal the location of the computers that were taken from POTRAZ.

She is also expected to tell the court who her brother, Evans Kagonye, gave the computers to and how many were received. ^[5]

Conviction

On 08 June 2022, Kagonye was found guilty by a magistrate of diverting into her own use, some 20 computers which were donated through her by POTRAZ to benefit schools in the Goromonzi South constituency in 2018. ^[6]

Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti sentenced Kagonye to 36 months in jail before setting aside 12 months for five years on condition of good behaviour. A further eight months were set aside on condition she restitutes US$10 000 equivalent to the laptops she stole.

Writing a book in prison

In October 2022, it was reported that Kagonye was writing a book about prayer while serving her sentence at Chikurubi Female Prison. ^[7]

She said she went to bible college before her imprisonment and was using her training to provide spiritual support to fellow prisoners. She said:

I only discovered the other side of me when l got inside here. I am actually a pastor. I went to Bible college but l never thought l would practice what I learnt. The moment l came here, l got that opportunity. And I am writing a book which l will publish as soon as l am released. It is about prayer. I have made a lot of friends here and I have added some weight.

Appeal

On 18 October 2022, High Court judges, Benjamin Chikowero and Rodgers Manyangadze dismissed Kagonye's appeal against conviction and sentence for criminal abuse of office. ^[8]

In her appeal, Kagonye had said the sentence by Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro was too harsh and excessive.

References