Harare City Council’s acting town clerk Phakhamile Mabhena Moyo and Citizens Coalition for Change councillor Happymore Gotora appeared in court yesterday facing criminal abuse of office charges.
Moyo, who was represented by Obey Shava, was remanded in custody to Monday after the lawyer filed a notice to challenge placement on remand, while Gotora was released on $100 000 bail.
On Wednesday, five councillors appeared in court over similar charges after they allegedly unlawfully allocated themselves industrial and commercial stands.
It is alleged that the accused persons executed their plan in two meetings held on November 14, 2022 and December 14, 2022.
The State alleges that in executing their plan, they devised a plan whereby they would deliberately abscond meetings in which the issue of the allocation of stands to themselves was being discussed.
They went on to recommend the illegal allocation of commercial and or industrial stands in various locations to a total of 14 councillors and 14 senior council officials and one Member of Parliament.
On November 29, 2022, the 1914 ordinary council meeting adopted the recommendations by the committee chaired by Mande to allocate the commercial and industrial stands.
It is alleged that in terms of Ministry of Local Government circular 12 (cross referenced CX/7) dated March 18, 2020, a councillor who does not have a residence within his or her ward is entitled a single residential stand.
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If they need a commercial or industrial stand, they have to follow the normal process like any other person.
The State alleges that in acting the way they did, the accused persons unduly favoured themselves.
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