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Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent
A 55-year-old public officer at City of Harare has appeared in court on allegations of extorting an unsuspecting home seeker of US$3 000 after threatening to demolish his house.
James Mazvimba was facing criminal abuse of office charges when he appeared before Harare Magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi.
He was remanded to November 2 for trial.
The complainant is Tariro Mupawaenda (38).
Allegations are that sometime in August 2020, Mazvimba, without a court order during the course of his duty as a public officer, proceeded to the complainant’s stand number 3727 in Mabelreign and threatened to demolish the building.
It is the State’s case that on July 6, 2020, Mupawaenda was allocated a residential stand number 3727 Mabelreign measuring 810 square metres by the City of Harare and was given an offer letter together with nine other beneficiaries.
The court heard that during the month of August, 2023 Mupawaenda complainant received a letter from Mazvimba purported to be a notice to demolish the complainant’s building structures.
She told Mazvimba that there were minutes from a full council which authorized her to remain on the stand and also a court order from High Court case number HCH 5984/23.
Mazvimba extorted cash amounting to US$3 000 from the complainant for him to stop the demolition.
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