Smelly Dube
Smelly Dube real name Simelilanga Dube is a Zimbabwean businesswoman. In March 2021 she was arrested on allegations of illegal acquisition and sale of State land.
Net Worth
Smelly Dube's exact net worth is unknown at the moment. In March 2021 she was arrested for allegedly defrauding the Government of US$9million.[1]
Businesses
She is the chief executive officer of River Valley Properties. As of September 2015, Smelly Dube co-owns Midkwe Minerals with William Mtomba. In September 2015, Midkwe Minerals lost Chaka Gold Plant to Henry Muchena and Sydney Nyanungo following a Supreme Court order evicting Mtomba from the property. Midkwe approached the Constitutional Court to have the Supreme Court ruling overturned.[2]
Awards
In September 2021, Dube won the outstanding business leader award at the Zimbabwe CEOs Network awards ceremony held in Harare[3].
Arrest
On 3 March 2021, Smelly Dube was arrested by the police working with the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) while admitted to a private hospital in Gweru and was placed under police guard at the health institution. Dube had collapsed and was hospitalised after learning that police were closing in on her.
She was arrested on allegations of fraud to the tune of more than US$9 million and conspiracy to criminal abuse of duty by a public officer.
She became the first high-profile land developer in the Midlands Province to be arrested over land issues. Dube’s illegal sale of State land was exposed by the Justice Tendai Uchena Commission of Inquiry report.[4] Dube was arrested on allegations of illegal acquisition and sale of State land. Her company developed and sold stands in Hartfordshire Phase 1 and 2, Subdivision 4 of Gwelo Small Holdings (Woodlands Phase 1 and 2) in Gweru. Dube was called for questioning on 2 March 2021 but failed to show up and investigations led investigators to a private hospital in Gweru where she was seeking medical assistance.[5]
In a first for the Gweru Magistrates Court, a temporary court was set up at Claybank Hospital so the magistrate could see for himself the extent of illness of an accused person who had failed to turn up for remand. Her lawyer, Advocate Joshua Chirambwe made an application for the court to sit at Claybank Hospital where Mr Manwere saw that Dube was indeed bedridden and could not attend court.
On count one, Dube allegedly worked with Jason Machaya and former senior Government official Matilda Manhambo to be allocated land which she developed without engineering designs.
As a result, 669 beneficiaries suffered prejudice of over US$460 000.
On count two, Dube, working with Machaya and former Gweru District Administrator Sherpad Marweri allegedly allocated State land defrauding the Government of US$9million.[1]
Dube was remanded in custody to 9 March 2021 after a Gweru court ruled that she had a case to answer in a fraud case involving more than US$9 million.
She was not asked to plead when she appeared before Mr Taurai Manwere.[6][7]
In June 2021, Gweru regional magistrate Christopher Maturure stopped Dube's criminal trial pending a determination by the High Court of Smelly Dube's application for the review of the court proceedings.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Patrick Chitumba, Smelly Dube court sits in hospital, The Chronicle, Published: March 6, 2021, Retrieved: March 8, 2021
- ↑ Blessed Mhlanga, Muchena, Nyanungo take over Chaka Plant, NewsDay, Published: September 15, 2015, Retrieved: May 14, 2022
- ↑ Another Gong For Businesswoman, Smelly Dube, NewZimbabwe.com, Published: September 26, 2021, Retrieved: May 14, 2022
- ↑ Gweru land developer Smelly Dube arrested, NewsDay, Published: march 4, 2021, Retrieved: March 8, 2021
- ↑ Patrick Chitumba, Smelly Dube arrested, The Chronicle, Published: March 4, 2021, Retrieved: March 8, 2021
- ↑ Patrick Chitumba, Smelly Dube denied bail over US$9 million land deals, Sunday News, Published: March 7, 2021, Retrieved: March 8, 2021
- ↑ Gweru land developer Smelly Dube collapses as she faces fraud charges, ZimLive, Published: March 4, 2021, Retrieved: May 14, 2022
- ↑ LATEST: Smelly Dube’s trial stopped, The Chronicle, Published: June 16, 2021, Retrieved: May 14, 2022
