Government suspends Harare mayor Jacob Mafume and his deputy

The Zimbabwe Ministry of Local Government Public Works and National Housing has suspended Harare City Council Mayor Jacob Mafume and his deputy Luckson Makunguma for allegedly parcelling out residential stands to their relatives and friends.

Mayor Mafume, Deputy Mayor Mukunguma and councillor Anthony Shingadeya received separate letters informing them of their suspension.

Acting Local Government Minister Jenfan Muswere said the trio is allegedly violated certain provisions of the Urban Councils Act.

In the letters, Muswere wrote that a special investigation team has been set up to deal with the land scam allegations

However, councillors Mafume, Mukunguma and Shingadeya accused the government of trying to push them out of the council and replace them with a Zanu-PF lead commission.

The trio has been suspended without pay and barred from representing the Harare City Council on official and unofficial capacity.

Mayor Mafume was recently granted bail by the High Court after spending close to a month behind bars.

His lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara said Mafume was arrested on charges of illegally allocating residential stands in Westlea.

The charge is criminal abuse of office arising from the allocation of housing stands in Westlea in March 2020. The charges are denied, said Bhatasara.

Mafume and his deputy were elected into office in September last year after a faction of the MDC led by Thokozani Khupe recalled former mayor Herbert Gomba and other councillors aligned to the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.

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Tatenda Mutumhe

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