Bulawayo City Council Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu and Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo have been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on bribery charges.
The pair allegedly demanded a US$20,000 payment from a private company in exchange for facilitating land approval for a cement mixing plant.
Bulawayo Deputy Mayor and Councillor Arrested For Corruption
According to ZACC, the two council officials are accused of approaching Tsitsi Mapfumo, a representative of Labenmon Investments, and asking for the payment on behalf of 20 other council members. The bribe was allegedly requested after the company was offered 5.6 hectares of land earlier this year.
Labenmon Investments initially applied for 10 hectares in November 2023, but the application was unsuccessful. After resubmitting the request in April 2024, the company received a formal offer letter for the reduced land allocation.
Shortly after, Ndlovu and Moyo allegedly demanded the cash reward to “smoothen” the process, claiming it was meant to benefit other councillors involved in the decision.
How The Corrupt Officials Were Nabbed
A whistleblower report to ZACC triggered an investigation, which culminated in the arrests. Both officials are expected to appear in the Tredgold Magistrate Court on November 16, 2024, to face charges.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed the arrests on their official X account:
“ZACC has arrested Bulawayo City Council Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu and Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo on a bribery charge. Ndlovu and Moyo allegedly demanded US$20 000.00 from Labenmon Investments as payment for facilitating approval for land to set up a cement mixing plant.”
Several local government officials in the country have been nabbed for corruption.
Months ago, four Harare City Council officials were arrested for allegedly awarding a street lights tender worth over US$9.2 million to a company without following proper procedures. The officials involved were Never Murerwa, Jabulani Mukomazi, Denford Zhungu, and Tawanda Mutenhabundo.
ALSO READ: Harare City Council Officials Arrested For Giving Moses Mpofu A US$9 Million Street Lights Tender
Additionally, eight Harare municipal police officers and two water department officials were suspended for demanding bribes and extorting money from residents.
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The post Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu and Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo Arrested Over US$20,000 Bribery Scandal appeared first on iHarare News.
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