Harare: The new mayor of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, has been arrested on charges of alleged corruption, his lawyer said on Thursday, adding that the opposition’s high-profile party called the case politically motivated.
Jacob Mafoom – a prominent member of the Central Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) coalition – is accused of embezzling residential plots on his land, including his sister, when he was city councilor in 2010. What was the parcel?
Mafomi’s lawyer Tondirai Bhattasara said he was arrested late on Wednesday and would remain in custody until his appearance in court on Friday. “Mafoma is facing criminal misuse of government allegations regarding the allotment of stands,” Bhatsara told AFP.
“Police have not yet been able to establish some facts and issues related to the case.” Mafome’s MDC party said the arrest was a “minor political matter” and that the charges against him were “vague”. “His real crime was to win the mayoral vote,” the MDC tweeted just hours after his arrest. Mafomi was elected in September. The MDC tweeted, citing the ruling party, “They want to remove it and replace it with the Zanu PF proxy.”
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