HARARE – Former Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni and ex-Chamber Secretary and Acting Town Clerk Josephine Ncube are set to appear in court tomorrow following their arrest by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on charges of criminal abuse of office.
The duo is accused of unlawfully altering a land development agreement between the City of Harare and Shelter Zimbabwe, a move which allegedly cost the municipality an estimated US$20 million in potential revenue.
Manyenyeni, who served as mayor during a controversial period in the capital’s administration, will be represented in court by renowned legal scholar and constitutional lawyer, Professor Lovemore Madhuku.
According to ZACC, the allegations stem from a housing development deal involving 1,500 residential stands on 657 hectares of land in Tafara and Mabvuku, eastern suburbs of Harare. It is alleged that Manyenyeni and Ncube acted in collusion to amend the terms of the agreement without proper authorisation or due process, to the detriment of the city’s financial interests.
The arrests are part of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and mismanagement in local authorities, particularly around land allocations and housing schemes, which have long been marred by controversy and allegations of underhand dealings.
The case is expected to attract significant public interest, given the scale of the alleged financial loss and the seniority of the officials involved.
