Fugitive Restoration Of Human Rights Zimbabwe (ROHR) leader Ephraim Tapa reportedly sneaked into the country this weekend to try and save his disintegrating human rights organisation from collapse.
Highly placed sources within the organisation say Tapa crept into the country via South Africa from his UK base last week to hold a damage control “unconstitutional meeting” with members of the organisation from the provinces following allegations of him using donated funds for his personal use.
Tapa was recently captured on video having been exposed for a pile of financial abuses.
The sources who described the convergence as a “kangaroo meeting,” revealed that Tapa has been slammed for using pictures and videos of human rights activities performed by members to source funds none of which he ever remits to the activists.
Following the exposé, which was also covered by ZimEye.com, Tapa convened a meeting of people loyal to him at an upmarket Gweru Lodge over the weekend and spoilt the members with cash and lavish lunch meals in order to appease them.
“He invited specific individuals from the provinces who he knew are loyal to him and treated them to a luxurious weekend in Gweru so that they would not be part of the pending revolt,” said the sources who want to remain anonymous.
A couple of weeks ago the media ran stories that members of ROHR in Zimbabwe were up in arms against Tapa who was sourcing funds overseas in the name of funding ROHR activities in the country when the activists were running activities from their pockets. The members alleged that Tapa would take pictures and stories of their activism and use them to source funds from donors under the banner of ROHR which he uses for his personal use.
Further damning allegations were raised that the little funds sent through into the country would come through an alleged girlfriend of Tapa (name supplied) who works at the ROHR offices in Harare who Tapa claims to be his niece.
The girl friend is said to be living large while ROHR activities suffer from non funding.
Details of what transpired in the said “kangaroo meeting” were not immediately made available to ZimEye.com but the sources say the Zimbabwean chapter National Chairman Moses Mutyasira was dismissed from the organisation together with several other members of the Zimbabwean executive committee.
Tapa could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press as he was said to be still somewhere between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
A ROHR member believed to based at the ROHR offices in Harare declined to comment on the issue referring ZimEye.com back to Tapa for a comment. The member also refused to acknowledge that he works at the ROHR offices.