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Court Reporter

HARARE City Council’s chief security officer Collen Tongowona appeared in court on Saturday on allegations of allowing a land developer to work on an unserviced stand in Marlborough without a compliance certificate from the council.

Tongowona appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube charged with criminal abuse of office.

He was not asked to plead to the charges and was freed on $20 000 bail.

The State — led by Mrs Tariro Ndingadini — alleged that Mr Coxwell Chigwana was allocated an unserviced residential stand in New Marlborough under a policy that requires the services to be in place before building starts.

According to the State, the stand’s infrastructural development is governed by the city’s Housing Pay Scheme constitution approved by the Education, Health, Housing and Community Services and Licensing Committee minutes of October 29, 2018.

It is alleged that on October 21 last year, Tongowona wrote a departmental letter authorising Chigwana to continue developments of the Marlborough residential stand without the compliance certificate.

The State alleges that Tongowona unlawfully assumed the role of the City of Harare’s Department of Housing and Community Services, which was against his duties and responsibilities as the chief security officer.