Mayor remanded in custody
VICTORIA Falls Mayor Councillor Somveli Dlamini who was arrested by a Zimbabwe AntiCorruption Commission (Zacc) crack team for alleged fraud involving a commercial stand valued at over US$90 000, appeared in court on Friday and was remanded in custody.
Through his lawyer Mr Givemore Mvhiringi of Mvhiringi and Associates, Dlamini applied for bail when he appeared before Hwange regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube. The magistrate remanded Dlamini in custody to tomorrow for bail ruling.
Prosecuting, Ms Memory Munsaka assisted by Mrs Charlene Gorerino said Dlamini misrepresented to Victoria Falls City Council and purported to be Valentine Munyaradzi Maseko to benefit from a stand when he had benefited before.
Victoria Falls City ordinary full council number 4 of 2020 stipulates that applicants must not have benefited before from allocation, purchase or lost stands through repossession and this is in line with Government directive that a home seeker benefits once in any land scheme. To circumvent the system, Dlamini (53) of 506 Acacia Road allegedly misrepresented and purported to be Valentine Nyoni who bought a stand from council.
“On 15 August 2022 the accused in his capacity as mayor unlawfully and intentionally made a misrepresentation and purported to be Valentine Munyaradzi Maseko when he had earlier on in 2003 purchased a stand 1139, by making an application using the name Valentine Munyaradzi Maseko under the Wood Road Housing Scheme upon which the council offered him stand number 1771,” said the prosecutors.
The court was told that Dlamini was supposed to pay a deposit of US$25 000 and he paid US$10 000.
Balance was supposed to be paid within five days. When he failed to raise the balance, the court heard, Dlamini paid $7 500 000. That is the time he suspended Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube before making the $7 500 000 bank transfer to council.
Zacc, which has been in the city investigating suspicions of corruption, picked the anomaly as Dlamini was not eligible for stand allocation under the said scheme.
The local authority was prejudiced of US$15 000 and a potential prejudice of US$66 462.75. — @ncubeleon