Bulawayo magistrate suspended

Peter Matika

Bulawayo Bureau

A BULAWAYO magistrate stationed at Tredgold Building, Evia Matura (47), has been suspended indefinitely after being brought before the courts on allegations of criminal abuse of office involving a high-profile fraud case.

Matura appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira on Saturday, facing charges of criminal abuse of duty as defined under Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23].

She was released on US$200 bail and ordered to report to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) once every two weeks.

As part of her bail conditions, she is prohibited from interfering with witnesses, must continue residing at her stated address, and has been barred from entering the Tredgold Magistrates’ Court pending the finalisation of the case.

The charges arise from her handling of a case involving former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) MP Obert Manduna, who is facing fraud allegations.

According to the State, Matura unlawfully released Manduna from custody on July 2, despite having previously denied him bail on June 25.

No new bail application had been submitted, nor was there any presentation of changed circumstances, a High Court order, or a bail receipt— requirements necessary for granting bail under such conditions.

The State alleges that Matura knowingly acted outside her judicial duties and procedures to show favour to Manduna, resulting in his irregular release.

Manduna’s charges relate to an incident that occurred between October 2020 and February 2022, during which he allegedly used a forged Power of Attorney to defraud a woman of nearly US$6 000 in a fraudulent residential stand transaction.

He is accused of misrepresenting to one Sithulisiwe Sibanda that he had authority from the actual owner, Bernard Mujuru, to sell Stand Number 7278 in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, for US$6 500.

However, Bulawayo City Council had already repossessed the stand, and Mujuru had not granted Manduna any rights to sell it.

By the time Sibanda discovered the deception, she had already paid US$5 900, which she has not recovered.

The prosecutor, Mr Samuel Mpofu, told the court that Manduna had previously evaded ZACC investigations and posed a flight risk.