Deputy Mayor accused of bribery as handwriting ana...

Deputy Mayor accused of bribery as handwriting analyst links him to document

Rutendo Mazhindu

Zim Now Reporter

A forensic handwriting expert has testified that Bulawayo's deputy mayor, Edwin Ndlovu, authored a document allegedly listing councillors who were to receive a US$20,000 bribe. The money was reportedly a payoff from a company seeking land for a new cement plant.

Testifying in court on Monday before magistrate Richard Ramaboea, handwriting analyst Kurauone Madziranyika told the court that handwriting samples taken from Ndlovu were a match for the writing on the document submitted as evidence by Labenmon Investments, the company at the heart of the bribery allegations.

"The questioned handwriting was authored by the same person who authored the standard handwriting samples submitted in this case — Edwin Ndlovu," Madziranyika said. He pointed out specific matching characteristics, including consistent formations of letters like "U, B, A, R, O, M," and the number "7" in both sets of writing.

Ndlovu and Ward 3 councillor Mpumelelo Moyo are accused of asking for the US$20,000 bribe for themselves and 20 other unnamed councillors. According to prosecutors, Labenmon Investments first applied for 10 hectares of land in Cowdray Park in November 2023 to build a cement manufacturing plant, but the request was denied due to environmental concerns about cement dust.

The company reapplied in April 2024 and was then allocated 5.6 hectares. "After receiving the offer letter, the accused persons allegedly approached Labenmon representative Ms Mapfumo and demanded a US$20,000 payment — said to be a reward for facilitating approval of the project," prosecutor Nkanyezi Nyoni told the court.

Acting on a tip, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) set up a sting operation. Investigators arrested Ndlovu and Moyo at Mapfumo’s home shortly after they allegedly took the bribe money.

The trial is ongoing.