Nyashadzashe Ndoro-—Chief Reporter
Former Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni and ex-Acting Town Clerk Josephine Ncube have been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and are facing charges of criminal abuse of duty, reportedly costing the city approximately US$20 million in potential revenue.
The arrests relate to allegations of unlawfully amending a land development agreement between the Harare City Council and Shelter Zimbabwe.
According to ZACC, the initial agreement, established in 2013, authorized Shelter Zimbabwe to develop 1,500 residential stands on 657 hectares of land in the Tafara-Mabvuku area. The original terms stipulated that the Harare City Council would be responsible for allocating and selling the stands after the necessary infrastructure was installed by Shelter Zimbabwe, with the council then reimbursing the developer.
However, in 2017, it is alleged that Manyenyeni, who was the mayor at the time, and Ncube, then the acting town clerk, altered this agreement. The amendment reportedly authorized Shelter Zimbabwe to sell the stands even before the land was serviced.
Following this amendment, Shelter Zimbabwe proceeded to sell the unserviced stands but allegedly failed to develop the land as agreed and did not remit the proceeds from the sales to the Harare City Council. This failure to remit funds is estimated to have resulted in a $20 million loss for the local authority.
Manyenyeni and Ncube are scheduled to appear at the Harare Magistrate Court on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, to face these charges.
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