Vic Falls Mayor Dlamini arrested

Municipal Reporter

Victoria Falls Mayor Somveli Dlamini was yesterday arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on land-related charges after he allegedly acquired his residential stand, fraudulently.

In a statement, ZACC said Dlamini is being charged for fraud alternatively concealing from a principal a personal interest in a transaction as defined in section 173 of the Criminal Law Codification Act. ZACC said the charges are emanating from fraudulent purchase of a residential stand in the low density suburb of Victoria Falls by the Mayor.

The law enforcement agency said Dlamini is detained in police custody and will appear in court today.

Dlamini’s arrest comes after the town clerk was last Tuesday frogmarched out of his office by residents on allegations of abuse of office.

Residents Association of Victoria Falls mobilised residents to physically remove town clerk Ronnie Dube from his council office following his suspension by the Mayor.

In the purported suspension letter as reported by our sister paper, H Metro, Dube is accused of alleged incompetence.

“On May 26, you wrote a letter to Jackberry Investment instructing them to make a payment towards one-month rentals into City Council Account number 4572-033912-202 held at ZB Bank to the tune of $8 251 522.65.

“There is no Council resolution to allocate the brewery to the said investor.

“The purported lease being drawn in the same letter is illegal. You acted ultra vires your expected and/or implied terms and conditions of service,” reads part of the letter.

It further read that on February 25, Dube unilaterally allocated the council dumpsite to Greenline Africa, in partnership with Mosi oa Tunya Waste and Landfill (Pvt) Ltd without a council resolution.

“In your letter dated February 25, you stated that management had no authority to lease out the said dumpsite/landfill site or sewerage pond area.

“You acted outside the scope of your mandate and powers by usurping council powers.”

On August 4, Dube as the town clerk is accused of transferring US$84 000 from a council account without a cause for such.

“Council neither authorised such nor does it have an agreement with you authorising the transfer of the said money.

“This is theft of trust property. In June, 2022, you misrepresented to council a proposal arising from the tender to sell stand number 8300. The purpose of selling land, through the tender system is to get the competitive maximum value available on the open market.”

Dube was also being accused of misleading council to award the tender to Zambezi Properties, whose bid of US$4, 2 million was lower than the highest bid of US$5,7 million.

“You failed to discharge your duties diligently and effectively in line with the express or implied conditions of your contract of employment.

“In your capacity as Town Clerk, you have failed to solve perennial service delivery challenges, namely water shortages.”

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