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Nyore Madzianike 

Senior Court Reporter 

Chitungwiza land baron, Fredrick Mabamba, wants to approach the High Court to appeal against the decision by Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje to deny him bail last week.

Mabamba, who is facing charges of illegally parcelling out land worth US$13 724 000 and more than $875 billion belonging to Chitungwiza Municipality, was remanded in custody to February 24 after Mr Mambanje denied him bail on the basis that the State had a strong case and overwhelming evidence against him.

Mabamba’s lawyer Mr Tapiwa Munodawafa from Nyikadzino, Simango and Associates, said they were going to lodge an appeal before the end of this week.

“We have started the process with the record being transcribed at the clerk of court, Harare Magistrates Court, to allow us to appeal at the High Court.

“Once it is done, we will then note an appeal at the High Court and we hope to do this on Friday,” he said.

The State alleges that sometime in 1999, Mabamba, who was the deputy mayor and councillor for Ward 25 in Chitungwiza abused his office and parcelled out 15 stands without authority and pocketed US$13 724 000 and $875 040 000 000.

He also allegedly created 200 residential stands worth US$600 000, which he sold to homeseekers in St Mary’s and another 230 on wetlands in Zengeza 4 worth US$1 058 000.

It is said Mabamba also created 57 stands in Zengeza 4, which he sold for US$3 000 each and a batch of 400 stands that he sold in Unit A.

The court heard that Mabamba illegally sold two stands for car sales in Unit B and pocketed US$44 000.

In Unit C, Mabamba allegedly sold 120 stands while another 120 were allocated to people in Unit N and F with one of the beneficiaries having exchanged the stand for his Toyota Gaia vehicle.

The court heard that Mabamba sold 76 stands in Unit G, 211 in Unit J and 151 in Unit K and a piece of land where Watershed High School was built.

Further allegations are that Mabamba sold 227 stands in Unit L worth US$1 589 000.

Mabamba allegedly allocated stands to his parents and demarcated land where he built schools and allocated 150 stands to home seekers.