Mdlalose and Banda to appear in court again.

The tension continues to escalate in the case of Hwange Local Board town
secretary Ndumiso Mdlalose and Ananias Banda the Housing Director who
appeared again before the Hwange Regional Magistrate Mark Dzira.

The duo has been dragged to court by the country’s corruption watch dog,
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), facing charges of criminal
abuse of duty as public officers.

According Prosecutor Memory Munsaka, on May 26, 2022, Paarlweb
Investments made an application addressed to the Town Clerk of HLB seeking
20 hectares of land to construct a coke oven battery.

“On 29 July 2022, a special board meeting was held by HLB Councillors and
both accused persons attended the meeting, and the board resolved that the
board accept application of Paarlweb Investment. Paarlweb Investment was to
construct coke battery in compliance with HLB laws and housing director’s
permission”, the court heard.

The court was told that Mdlalose wrote a letter dated August 22, 2022 but
stamped on September 22, 2022 confirming that Paarlweb had purchased stand
number 7011 Heavy Industrial site for the construction of Beehive Coke Oven
battery.

“The case was then reported to Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption in February 2023
and investigation of the case commenced in March 2023. In realising that
ZACC was investigation the matter, Mdlalose wrote a letter informing Paarlweb
that HLB was to engage in discussion relating to the total value of the 7011
Heavy Industrial site.

Implementation of the committee resolution on housing matters respectively
acted in common purposes to intentionally and unlawfully caused Hwange
Local Board to sell a 6ha heavy industrial stand number 7011 to Paarlweb
Investment for less than what was agreed to at the council meeting of HW/SB
/15/2022.

They thus showed favour to Paarlweb Investment which eventually acquired the
said stand at USD20 000 instead of USD1 983 600.

Meanwhile the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission Investigations, argued
that the duo has not been forthcoming in investigating the case. The duo was
remanded out of custody to January 19 for the continuation of the case.