Former Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni and former acting Town Clerk Josephine Ncube have been arrested on charges of criminal abuse of duty, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) confirmed on Tuesday night.
The charges stem from allegations that the two unlawfully amended a land development agreement between the City of Harare and Shelter Zimbabwe, resulting in an estimated US$20 million revenue loss for the local authority.
According to ZACC, the original agreement, signed in 2013, involved the development of 1,500 residential stands on 657 hectares of land in Tafara and Mabvuku.
Under the initial terms, Shelter Zimbabwe was responsible for servicing the land with necessary infrastructure, after which the City Council would allocate and sell the stands, reimbursing Shelter Zimbabwe thereafter.
However, in 2017, Manyenyeni and Ncube allegedly altered the agreement to allow Shelter Zimbabwe to sell the unserviced stands directly, a move not approved by the council.
Shelter Zimbabwe proceeded to sell the stands but reportedly failed to develop the land or remit the proceeds to the City of Harare.
Manyenyeni and Ncube are expected to appear at the Harare Magistrates Court on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
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