Online Reporter
Peter Matika
BULAWAYO deputy mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu has been arrested again, this time on allegations of extorting US$52 000 from a city businessman, barely a year after he was acquitted in a high-profile corruption case.
Clr Ndlovu was arrested alongside Ward 28 councillor Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu and former Ward 22 councillor Rodney Jele following investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).
Zacc spokesperson Ms Simiso Mlevu confirmed the arrests yesterday, saying the three were being investigated for extortion.
“The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission confirms the arrest of the deputy mayor of the City of Bulawayo, Edwin Ndlovu, together with Councillor for Ward 28, Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu and former Councillor for Ward 22, Rodney Jele, on allegations of extortion involving a 50-year lease agreement for a hotel development,” she said.
Ms Mlevu said investigations revealed that in August 2026, the three allegedly demanded US$52 000 from a city businessman in exchange for not cancelling a lease agreement entered into in March 2023.
“The three allegedly told the complainant that an unnamed businessman was offering them US$52 000 to have the lease cancelled and advised him that he should match the offer to retain the lease. The complainant reported the matter to Zacc and a trap was set, leading to their arrest,” said Ms Mlevu.
The trio is expected to appear in court today, where the allegations will be formally put to them.
The latest arrest places Cllr Ndlovu back in the spotlight less than a year after he was acquitted in a separate corruption case that had attracted considerable attention in Bulawayo.
He had been arrested together with then finance and development committee chairperson Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo over allegations that they solicited a US$20 000 bribe from representatives of Labenmon Investments.
The company had been allocated 5,6 hectares of land in Bulawayo for the construction of a cement-mixing plant.
The State alleged that the money was being sought as a reward for councillors who had facilitated approval of the land allocation.
However, in August 2025, Bulawayo magistrate Mr Richard Ramaboea acquitted Cllr Ndlovu after finding that the State had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court found that key evidence linking him to the alleged offence was unreliable and insufficient to sustain a conviction.
Following his acquittal, Cllr Ndlovu described the case as a traumatic ordeal that had tested his character and faith, saying he had emerged with renewed confidence in the justice system.
The latest allegations are, however, separate from the previous corruption case and have not yet been tested in court. Cllr Ndlovu remains innocent until proven guilty. His latest arrest also comes at a time when Zacc has continued to intensify investigations into alleged corruption and abuse of office involving public officials, including local authority officials.
