D-day for Harare mayor Mafume
HIGH Court judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero yesterday reserved judgment on incarcerated Harare mayor Jacob Mafume’s bail application saying he needed more time to go through submissions made by the State.
Chikowero was initially expected to make the bail ruling on Monday, but rolled the matter to yesterday arguing that he needed to allow the State to prepare its papers.
Mafume is facing allegations of obstructing or defeating the course of justice after he allegedly attempted to bribe a witness.
He was initially arrested for criminal abuse of office after he allegedly allocated a residential stand to his sister in Kuwadzana high-density suburb without following laid down procedures.
It is also alleged he abused his office when he forced council to create and allocate four residential stands to his other relatives identified as Juliet Tipedze, Melody Magorimbo, Edith Chiota and Carrington Ndimba in Highfield.
His second dramatic arrest came just four days after he had been released on $30 000 bail at the High Court for the first charge.
As part of the bail conditions, Mafume was ordered not to interfere with witnesses but, according to State papers, he was seen in a compromising position with a key State witness Edgar Dzehonye.
Mafume allegedly offered to pay US$1 500 to Dzehonye so that he testifies in his favour in court.
The State further alleges that Mafume violated his bail conditions and contacted Dzehonye, through a WhatsApp voice call, requesting to meet him and discuss his criminal case which was still pending before the courts.