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Yeukai a Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Councillor for Harare Ward 21, Blessing Duma who is facing charges of extortion related to land allocation, has been granted US$100 bail by the Harare Magistrates’ Court.
Duma is also the chairperson of the City of Harare Audit Committee.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission arrested him last week.
Duma was represented by lawyer Ms Devoted Nyagano.
Regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje ordered Duma to continue residing at his given address, not to interfere with State witnesses and to report to a police station every fortnight.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on October 29.
Prosecutor Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti said sometime in June, Harare City Council’s housing director Mr Addmore Nhekairo’s office received offer letters from Duma for two unserviced residential stands in Mabelreign.
The letters were not signed or stamped by the principal housing officer, and were meant for Walter Chigwereva and Danai Dzawanda.
Mr Nhekairo realised that the offer letters were inconsistent with council procedures and decided to withhold them pending an internal investigation into their origin.
The court heard On August 26, 2024, Duma approached Mr Nhekairo at the City of Harare offices enquiring why he had not released the offer letters.
Duma continued pressurising Mr Nhekairo to sign the letters, threatening to expose him for some alleged offences.
However, Mr Nhekairo refused to sign the letters.
On August 27, 2024, Duma told Mr Nhekairo that his committee would take adverse action against him.
Mr Nhekairo then reported the matter to ZACC, resulting in Duma’s arrest.
Online Reporter