Court clears ZAPU official of contempt of court charges

Andrew Ndlovu, the ZAPU National Secretary for Security and Internal Affairs, who had been facing contempt of court charges after his arrest in April of this year in connection with a property dispute, has finally been acquitted.

The charges against Ndlovu were linked to his tenure as a director for Sankorp Holdings between 1998 and 2000, during which he was accused of misappropriating funds from both the company and the Magamba eChimurenga Housing Scheme.

Alexander Manyawi of Sankorp Holdings Company had filed the complaint. Manyawi was a member of the Magamba eChimurenga Housing Scheme, which was a subsidiary project of Sankorp dedicated to war veterans.

Ndlovu was appointed as the project manager by the late Dr. Chenjerai Hunzvi, the national leader of the Zimbabwe War Veterans Associations, who was leading investment initiatives for former freedom fighters.

Members of the Magamba eChimurenga housing scheme voluntarily joined, and funds were transferred via Sankorp Holdings Company before being channeled to the housing scheme.

In 1999, Ndlovu, along with the late Dr. Hunzvi and the late Anna Paradza, were arrested on allegations of embezzling funds from both Sankorp Holding Company's main project and the Magamba eChimurenga Housing Scheme. Ndlovu was convicted on both counts and received a prison sentence, leading to a High Court-issued interdict application. This interdict disqualified him from serving as a Director or Principal Officer of Sankorp Holdings, effective from July 13, 2003, and prevented him from interfering with the company's operations.

According to the complainants, between 2012 and 2013, Ndlovu allegedly began allocating residential plots for personal use at Amsterdam Park in Harare, all while claiming to do so on behalf of Magamba eChimurenga. This occurred despite court orders prohibiting him from interfering with the company's activities, which involved the allocation of plots to members at Amsterdam Park.

The matter was reported at Southlea Park Police Station, and Ndlovu was apprehended on April 5, 2023, at his residence in Nkulumane by police from Harare.

At the time of his arrest, Ndlovu suggested that the action was motivated by tribalism and the alleged bias of Zanu-PF against politicians from Matabeleland.

On April 6, 2023, Ndlovu appeared at the Mbare Magistrate Court, accompanied by the Chief Public Prosecutor, an Investigation Officer, and the complainants, including Manyawi and Willie Mazarura, among others, for an oral hearing meeting.

Ndlovu contended that the complainants accused him of interfering with the operations of their company, Sankorp Holdings, a company with which he had no recent involvement, having last worked there as a Managing Director in 2002.

He explained that the interdict order they produced against him, HC 7902/03, was applicable to Sankorp Holdings Pvt Ltd and not his trust, which was named 'Magamba eChimurenga Housing Trust.'

The court assigned the police to conduct further investigations regarding docket CR 206/22 before referral to court for trial.

Ndlovu stated that he had also lodged a complaint with the Home Affairs Minister, Kazembe Kazembe, regarding the conduct of officers at Southly Park Police Station.

A few weeks later, Ndlovu learned that the complainants had chosen to drop fraud charges against him without providing any specific reasons, but they intended to proceed with contempt of court charges against him.

On September 25, 2023, Ndlovu appeared before Mbare Magistrate Court for the commencement of his trial, accompanied by the complainants and senior police officer Ezekiel Munyengerwa. The trial spanned from September 25 to 28, 2023, with the state concluding its case. On September 29, 2023, Ndlovu applied for discharge through his legal representation from Chambati, Mataka, and Makonese Attorneys at Law.

On October 3, 2023, the court issued its ruling in Court 1, acquitting Ndlovu of the contempt of court charges, finding him not guilty.