Bulawayo Deputy Mayor extortion case postponed

THE case involving Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu and four co-accused, who are facing allegations of conspiring to extort US$52 000 from a local businessman over a city council lease, has been postponed to September 24.

Ndlovu appeared before Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Mr Isheunesu Mathoba alongside Councillors Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu, Mxolisi Mahlangu, Ashton Mhlanga and former councillor Rodney Jele.

The accused are charged with extortion or, alternatively, bribery.

Principal Prosecutor Mr Milton Moyo applied for the postponement, telling the court that Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigators had sent exhibits to Harare for forensic examination and were awaiting the results as investigations are concluded.

Deputy Mayor Ndlovu is represented by Mr Zibusiso Ncube of Ncube and Partners, while Mahlangu and Mhlanga are represented by Mr Kholwani Ngwenya of TJ Mabhikwa and Partners. The three are on US$500 bail each.

Jele, who was denied bail, is represented by Mr Prince Butshe of Butshe and Associates.

The State alleges that Jele and his co-accused conspired to extort US$52 000 from a local businessman in connection with a 50-year lease granted by the Bulawayo City Council for a proposed hotel development.

According to the State, the lease was awarded in March 2023 to Mkhuze Global Investments, a company owned by the complainant, for the development of a hotel.

Mr Moyo told the court that in August this year, the accused allegedly approached the businessman and claimed that other businesspeople were interested in the stand and were prepared to pay US$52 000 to have his lease cancelled.

The businessman was allegedly told to match the US$52 000 if he wanted to retain the lease rights.

The businessman subsequently reported the matter to ZACC, which mounted an undercover operation. The operation allegedly resulted in Jele's arrest after the complainant handed over US$5 000 as part of the allegedly demanded amount.

Jele was allegedly arrested while counting the money at the complainant's residence.

The State has previously indicated that it intends to rely on witness statements, communications between the accused and the complainant, as well as evidence relating to the money allegedly exchanged during the operation.

Ndlovu and his co-accused councillors were also remanded to September 24.

The latest case comes less than a year after Deputy Mayor Ndlovu was acquitted of separate corruption allegations involving an alleged US$26 000 bribe linked to a proposed cement-mixing plant in Bulawayo.