happiness ChikwanhaH-Metro Reporter
FIVE City of Harare Councillors appeared in court yesterday on three counts of criminal abuse of office.
Costa Mande, Gilbert Thamsanga Hadebe, Loveness Gomba, Ian Muteto Makone and Stanley Manasi Manyenga were granted $100 000 bail each.
They appeared before Harare magistrate Vongai Guwuriro.
They will be back in court on May 18.
The five Councillors are in the Finance and Development Committee chaired by Mande.
In the first count, it is alleged that the committee connived to allocate commercial stands to themselves and senior Council officials.
The court heard that the Councillors convened two meetings, sometime last year, in which they agreed to parcel out Council commercial stands.
It was alleged that during the meetings, the Councillors allocated 29 commercial stands to 14 Councillors and senior Council officials.
Another stand was allocated to a Member of Parliament.
The State said according to the Ministry of Local Government Circular 12, a Councillor who does not have a residence within his or her ward, is entitled to a single residential stand in their lifetime and they have no entitlement to preferential treatment when it comes to commercial stands.
In another count, it is alleged that the committee recommended the allocation or lease of commercial stands to 33 companies, three of which were not registered with the Registrar of Companies.
The State said the Councillors favoured other companies by giving them commercial stands, which is contrary to Council policy.
Pardon Dziva appeared for the State.
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