Harare Mayor remanded in custody

HARARE Mayor Jacob Mafume (44), who is facing abuse of office charges, will spend the weekend behind bars after his bail ruling was rolled over to tomorrow.

Mafume was arrested by the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu) last week for allegedly forcing city council officials to parcel out housing stands in Harare's Westlea suburb to his sister and colleague.

Magistrate Bianca Makwande had initially set the bail ruling for yesterday when Mafume appeared in court on Friday but postponed the case to tomorrow as she was away attending to an urgent work-related matter.

The State alleges that on an unknown date between March 1 and March 31, 2020, Mafume called Harare City Council Housing Director Mr Addmore Nhekairo and asked him to allocate residential stands to his sister Rotina Mafume and colleague Rutendo Muvuti.

At the time that Mafume allegedly approached Mr Nhekairo, the Harare City Council had already closed interviews for prospective beneficiaries of the land in Westlea.

The State alleged that as a direct consequence of Mafume's insistence to circumvent council procedures, Mr Nhekairo then instructed his junior officers to ensure that the two were allocated stands.

"Rotina Mafume was allocated a stand under waiting list number 1317/03/10 with a provisional deposit for intrinsic land price $219 938," reads the charge sheet.

"The said housing waiting list number does not appear on the Harare City Council Housing waiting list database.

"Rutendo Muvuti was allocated stand number 11565 in Westlea under waiting list number 903/11/16 measuring 600 square meters with a provisional deposit for intrinsic land price of $219 938".

The said waiting list number  belonged to Winnie Mandishona NR 59-165352P12 not Rutendo Muvuti.