Bail for deputy mayor in US$20 000 bribe case

THE High Court of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo has granted bail to Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu and the council’s finance development committee chairperson, Mpumelelo Moyo, who endured a fortnight behind bars following their arrest on charges of corruption at the beginning of the month.

High Court judge Justice Ngoni Nduna granted them US$100 bail each. They are scheduled to appear at the magistrate’s court for routine remand on December 13, as ordered by Bulawayo magistrate Mr Shepherd Munjanja.

The duo was arrested on November 14 after allegedly demanding a US$20 000 “facilitation” fee from a cement factory investor. In granting them bail, Justice Nduna ordered them to reside at their fixed addresses and not to interfere with State witnesses. Justice Nduna also ordered Moyo to surrender his passport and the title deeds to his house as surety.

Moyo and Ndlovu were represented by Prince Butshe Dube of Mathonsi Law Chambers and Zibusiso Ncube of Ncube and Partners respectively. In his bail application, filed at the High Court on November 20, Ndlovu noted that the State’s case is “sinking sand.” He denied any knowledge of the complainant, Tsitsi Mapfumo, who is the representative of the Chinese company Labenmon Investments.

“I shall plead not guilty to the allegations. I gave a detailed warned and cautioned statement indicating that I do not even know the said Tsitsi Mapfumo. I deny the allegations levelled against me. The allegations are fictitious, malicious, and scandalous.

“My legal practitioner specifically asked the Zacc officer in my presence on what basis I was being linked to the matter. They responded that I allegedly wrote a list of names of 20 councillors purported to be given US$20 000. I immediately vehemently denied ever writing the alleged list or any list at all. Together with my legal practitioner, we insisted on having sight of the so-called list. However, none was furnished to me,” read part of his application.

Ndlovu further revealed that he was not part of the trap as he had never been in the complainant’s house. According to court records, the duo allegedly demanded US$20 000 from Labenmon Investments as payment for facilitating approval for land to establish a cement mixing plant.

It was stated that in November 2023, Mapfumo of Labenmon Investments made an unsuccessful application for 10 hectares of land from the Bulawayo City Council for a cement mixing plant. Labenmon Investments resubmitted the application in April 2024 and was offered 5,6 hectares.

“After Labenmon Investments received an offer letter, the accused allegedly approached Mapfumo, demanding a reward of US$20 000 on behalf of 20 other Bulawayo City Council councillors for facilitating the approval.”
A report was made to Zacc, leading to the arrests of Ndlovu and Moyo.