Byo deputy mayor, finance chair in bribery storm

Peter Matika, Bulawayo Bureau

BULAWAYO deputy mayor, Edwin Ndlovu, and the council’s finance and development committee chairperson, Mpumelelo Moyo, have been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on corruption charges. The pair was arrested on Thursday evening and is expected to appear in court today.

Bulawayo Mayor, Councillor David Coltart, has called for the law to be upheld, adding that a zero tolerance policy towards corruption be adopted by councillors.  Clr Coltart said he only learnt of the arrests from the town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, yesterday.

Since assuming the mayoral office, Clr Coltart has consistently emphasised the need for council to maintain a zero tolerance policy towards corruption.

“This morning (yesterday) I was advised that the Deputy Mayor of Bulawayo Clr Edwin Ndlovu and the chairperson of the BCC finance committee Mpumelelo Moyo were arrested last night on allegations of corruption. I was not aware of these allegations prior to the town clerk briefing me this morning. I await further information but the law must take its course,”said Clr Coltart.

He called on ZACC to conduct a thorough and fair investigation into the matter.

“Allegations such as these must be investigated and tried through a fair, independent and professional judiciary,” Clr Coltart said.

ZACC communications manager, Ms Simiso Mlevu, confirmed the arrests yesterday, stating that the duo allegedly demanded US$20 000 from a company that is seeking to invest in the city.

“They demanded US$20 000 from Labenmon Investments as payment for facilitating approval for land to set up a cement mixing plant. Circumstances are that sometime in November 2023, Tsitsi Mapfumo from Labenmon Investments made an application without success for 10 hectares of land to the Bulawayo City Council for a cement mixing plant,” she said. She said Labenmon Investments resubmitted the application in April 2024 and was offered 5,6 hectares.

“After Labenmon Investments received an offer letter, the accused persons allegedly approached Ms Mapfumo demanding a reward of US$20 000 on behalf of 20 other Bulawayo City Council councillors for facilitating the approval,” said Ms Mlevu.