HARARE – Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume who was arrested on Monday at Strathaven Shopping Centre on allegations of interfering with a key State witness in his impending trial on corruption related charges, has been denied bail.
Mafume was arraigned before Harare Magistrates Court facing charges of obstructing the course of justice or alternatively contempt of court.
Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna deferred the matter to January 28 2021 after ruling that Mafume was not a suitable candidate for bail.
“It is clear that condition of not interfering with witnesses was not going to be nuetralised by any condition and that calls for the accused to be put in prison. Therefore bail is refused,” ruled Nduna.
Mafume is accused of interfering with a key witness, Edgar Dzehonye.
Dzehonye is expected to testify for the State in a case in which Mafume is accused of having allocated residential stands to his sister Rotina Mafume and secretary at his law firm Rutendo Muvuti without following due process.
The Harare Mayor was previously arrested in November facing criminal abuse of office relating to the matter.
He was recently released on bail on 8 December by a High Court judge before being arrested again on Monday – six days later.
