News / National
Bulawayo deputy mayor to have his day in court over bribery allegations
27 Mar 2025 at 06:17hrs | Views
The bribery case involving Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu and Finance and Development Chairperson Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo is set to be heard tomorrow in court. The two are facing charges of soliciting a bribe in exchange for facilitating the allocation of a tender from a contractor.
Appearing before Bulawayo Magistrate Mr. Maxwell Ncube, the duo is accused of bribery, as defined under Section 170 of the Criminal Law Codification Act. They were represented by Mr. Prince Butshe Dube of Mathonsi Law Chambers, who is defending Moyo, and Mr. Zibusiso Ncube of Ncube and Partners, who represents Ndlovu. Ms. Mufaro Ndirayire is prosecuting the case.
According to court records, the alleged bribery occurred between October 10 and November 14, 2024, when Moyo and Ndlovu are said to have solicited a bribe of US$20,000 from Tsitsi Mapfumo, the coordinator of Labenmon Investments (Private) Limited, a Chinese company.
The bribe was allegedly requested as a reward for 20 councillors who facilitated and approved the allocation of 5.6 hectares of land to Labenmon Investments for the construction of a cement mixing plant.
Court documents reveal that Mapfumo was able to positively identify both accused persons. Key evidence to be presented includes a list of the 20 councillors who were reportedly to receive the US$20,000, written by Ndlovu, as well as two $10 bills recovered during a trap set by authorities, and a tablet used for communication that was also seized from Moyo.
The case stems from Labenmon Investments' initial unsuccessful application for 10 hectares of land from the Bulawayo City Council for the cement mixing plant. After resubmitting the application in April 2024, the company was offered 5.6 hectares, and it is at this stage that the accused reportedly approached Mapfumo, demanding the US$20,000 in exchange for facilitating the land approval.
Both Ndlovu and Moyo were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) following an investigation into the allegations.
The case has drawn attention due to the high-profile nature of the accused and the serious implications of the charges. Legal experts and local residents alike are awaiting tomorrow's court proceedings to determine the outcome of the bribery allegations.
Appearing before Bulawayo Magistrate Mr. Maxwell Ncube, the duo is accused of bribery, as defined under Section 170 of the Criminal Law Codification Act. They were represented by Mr. Prince Butshe Dube of Mathonsi Law Chambers, who is defending Moyo, and Mr. Zibusiso Ncube of Ncube and Partners, who represents Ndlovu. Ms. Mufaro Ndirayire is prosecuting the case.
According to court records, the alleged bribery occurred between October 10 and November 14, 2024, when Moyo and Ndlovu are said to have solicited a bribe of US$20,000 from Tsitsi Mapfumo, the coordinator of Labenmon Investments (Private) Limited, a Chinese company.
The bribe was allegedly requested as a reward for 20 councillors who facilitated and approved the allocation of 5.6 hectares of land to Labenmon Investments for the construction of a cement mixing plant.
Court documents reveal that Mapfumo was able to positively identify both accused persons. Key evidence to be presented includes a list of the 20 councillors who were reportedly to receive the US$20,000, written by Ndlovu, as well as two $10 bills recovered during a trap set by authorities, and a tablet used for communication that was also seized from Moyo.
The case stems from Labenmon Investments' initial unsuccessful application for 10 hectares of land from the Bulawayo City Council for the cement mixing plant. After resubmitting the application in April 2024, the company was offered 5.6 hectares, and it is at this stage that the accused reportedly approached Mapfumo, demanding the US$20,000 in exchange for facilitating the land approval.
Both Ndlovu and Moyo were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) following an investigation into the allegations.
The case has drawn attention due to the high-profile nature of the accused and the serious implications of the charges. Legal experts and local residents alike are awaiting tomorrow's court proceedings to determine the outcome of the bribery allegations.
Source - the chroncile
