Councillor sells attached property

AN Esigodini councillor has appeared in court for allegedly selling property that had been attached at his home by the High Court before it was collected for sale.

Ward 17 Councillor Malaki Mpofu appeared before Esigodini magistrate Mr Tawanda Muchemwa facing a disposal of attached property charge. Mr Muchemwa remanded him out of custody to Tuesday for trial.

The court heard that sometime in 2015, a lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo, Dr Shadreck Dlodlo dragged the councillor to the High Court for failing to stop Khomani villagers in his ward from vandalising the lecturer’s perimeter fence. Dr Dlodlo is also a farmer in the area.

Prosecutor, Mr Acumen Khuphe told the court that on 7 December 2015 the Deputy Sherriff of the High Court of Bulawayo and Dr Dlodlo proceeded to Mpofu’s homestead to attach the property as per the ruling.

Property worth $8 400 which included Toyota Gand Hiace, Nissan Caravan, an ox-drawn scotch cart, brown sofas, Hisense television set, KICC fridge, display unit and six cattle were attached but was not collected on the same day.

Mr Khupe said on 15 December 2015, the Deputy Sheriff returned to Mpofu’s homestead to collect the attached property but only managed to collect one motor vehicle a Toyota Grand Hiace which he took to Bulawayo and was sold by public auction.

The court heard that the other property valued at $7 600 was sold to an unknown person by the councillor before the court could auction it. Nothing was recovered.