A housemaid to Zimbabwe’s information minister, Monica Mutsvangwa was on Saturday taken to a Magistrates’ Court on allegations of stealing US$25 000 given to the Cabinet minister for safekeeping.

Tracy Manase (59) from Chizemo village, under Chief Mutambara, who appeared before magistrate Nortilda Muchineripi, pleaded guilty.

The complainant in the matter is Joyce Mukono (49) from Zimre Park in Harare and is not employed.

According to the State, in March this year, the complainant gave her sister Mutsvangwa, who was the accused’s employer, US$25 000 for safekeeping.

Manase reportedly took the US$25 000, resigned from her workplace at the end of May and went to her rural home.

On an unknown date in the month of June, the complainant asked for her money back and Mutsvangwa informed her that the money had gone missing.

The complainant carried out her own investigations and found out that the minister’s house maid was hiring workers at her rural home and paying them in United States dollars.

The complainant made a report to Police and proceeded to the accused’s rural home with police officers where they recovered US$3 200 cash and groceries worth US$6 200.

The maid will be sentenced tomorrow.