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Nokutenda Chiyangwa Herald Reporter
Former Governor and Resident Minister for Midlands Province Jason Machaya, who is facing charges of criminal abuse of office, is set to appear before the Anti-corruption Court in Harare on July 19 for trial.

Machaya is out on $1 000 bail.

He appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Victoria Mashamba who set the trial date.

The State alleges that sometime between 2011 and 2017 Machaya was Governor and Resident Minister for Midlands Province, which is under the Ministry of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development.

While in that position, he allegedly used his powers and acquired 1 000 residential stands out of the 3 000 that were available in the Mapfungautsi Residential Area of Gokwe, which is under Gokwe Town Council’s administration.

This was against Government’s policy which allows the Ministry of local Government to acquire just 10 percent of the total stands as commonage.

As a result, Gokwe Town Council allegedly lost revenue in respect of 700 stands.

Furthermore, Machaya is said to have imposed a land developer known as Striations World Marketing Property Developers to service and sell the stands without following the legal tender proceedings. The State alleges that there are documents that provide evidence in respect to the matter. The total value lost is estimated at $700 000 and nothing was recovered.