'I was sent by the Town Clerk to the police station' Jailed Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu says

The recent arrest of Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu over allegations of demanding a US$20,000 facilitation fee from a cemetery factory investor has sent shockwaves through the city. However, an affidavit by Ndlovu, submitted as part of his defense and in application for bail, paints a different picture of events, suggesting he was acting under instructions from the Town Clerk, Chris Dube, when he went to the police station on the night of his arrest.

In his sworn statement, Ndlovu recounted the sequence of events leading to his detention:
"Around 1930 hours I received a phone call from the City of Bulawayo Town Clerk advising me that he had received a distress call from Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo who had advised that he had been arrested. The Town Clerk requested me to attend to the distress call as he was already at home preparing for bed. I duly complied. I immediately rang Mpumelelo Moyo on his mobile phone. However, there was no immediate response. After several attempts there was a response by an individual who advised that indeed Mpumelelo was under arrest at Mzilikazi Police Station."

The affidavit further detailed Ndlovu's efforts to locate Councillor Moyo:
"I dashed to Mzilikazi Police Station. Surprisingly, he was not there. I thought to myself that perhaps there was an error, and they meant Barbourfields Police Station. I drove to Barbourfields. Again, he was not there. Meanwhile, one of the many attempts of calling was yet again responded to and the person advised that they had eventually arrived at Mzilikazi Police Station. I went back to Mzilikazi Police Station, and I encountered the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) Officers who are mentioned in the Form 242, Request for Remand. The ZACC Officers did not give me any chance to explain the purpose of my visit but indicated that they were intending to arrest me and that since I had availed myself, I should go on the other side of the counter."

Ndlovu emphasized that he had complied with the request of the Town Clerk, acting on the assumption that it was his duty to assess the situation.

The affidavit has drawn scrutiny not only of the allegations against Ndlovu but also of the Town Clerk's role in the unfolding drama. Legal analyst and commentator Nkosinomusa Maphosa raised pointed questions about Dube's decision-making:
"Why would the Town Clerk, effectively the CEO of the city, delegate such a sensitive and urgent matter to the Deputy Mayor instead of addressing it himself or involving the Chamber Secretary, whose office oversees legal matters? Alternatively, why not alert the Mayor, David Coltart, who is a lawyer by profession and arguably better suited to handle such a complex situation?"

Maphosa also noted the unusual timing of the call, adding, "If the Town Clerk truly received a distress call from a Councillor at 7 PM, why did he consider it more appropriate to 'retire for bed' rather than escalate the matter through proper channels? This raises both legal and ethical concerns about the governance culture within the City of Bulawayo."

Ndlovu's affidavit underscores the chaotic nature of his arrest and raises serious questions about the sequence of events leading to it. While his account suggests he was acting in good faith under the Town Clerk's instructions, the lack of clarity around the Town Clerk's role in the whole matter raises eyebrows.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission's (ZACC) involvement indicates the seriousness of the allegations, but the circumstances outlined in the affidavit highlight potential procedural flaws in how the arrest was conducted.
At the heart of the controversy lies a critical question: Was the Deputy Mayor simply a victim of poor judgment by the Town Clerk, or does this incident point to deeper structural issues within Bulawayo's city governance?