Harare, (New Ziana) — The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on Monday arrested three senior officials from the Rusape Town Council over a controversial and allegedly unlawful land deal involving a proposed solar energy project.
The accused, Togarepi Nerwande, who was serving as Director of Human Capital and Administration and Acting Town Secretary at the time, Morris Tekwa, Director of Housing, Health and Community Services and Arnold Mandizvidza Kutoka, a former Council Engineer, are facing charges of criminal abuse of duty as public officers under Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
In a statement, ZACC said the trio is alleged to have acted in concert to unlawfully revive and facilitate a land lease for Texas Energy Pvt Ltd, a private company that had initially sought to develop a solar power plant in the Tsanzaguru area of the city in 2018.
The Ministry of Local Government had rejected the proposal at the time due to land constraints and the area’s residential zoning status. However, between September and December 2022, the accused are alleged to have resurrected the previously dismissed application without seeking proper legal approvals or conducting required public consultations, said ZACC.
In a particularly glaring breach, Nerwande signed a 99-year lease with Texas Energy on 28 December 2022, falsely describing the land in question as “open space” when in fact it was earmarked for residential development, said ZACC.
Investigations revealed that the officials deliberately sidestepped statutory procedures, including obtaining Ministerial consent and issuing public notices, both legally mandated steps when altering land use classifications.
The omission effectively invalidated the lease agreement and has triggered widespread concern over how such a transaction could proceed unnoticed for months. “This case represents a serious betrayal of public trust. By bypassing established protocols, the officials undermined urban planning processes and potentially jeopardized residential development in Tsanzaguru,” said ZACC.
The three accused are set to appear on Tuesday at the Mutare Magistrate Court for their initial remand hearing. If convicted, they face significant penalties, including imprisonment, under Zimbabwean anti-corruption statutes.
As the legal process unfolds, ZACC has reaffirmed its commitment to rooting out corruZACC arrests three Rusape Council officials over illegal land deal Harare, 10 June 2025 (New Ziana) — The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on Monday arrested three senior officials from the Rusape Town Council over a controversial and allegedly unlawful land deal involving a proposed solar energy project.
The accused, Togarepi Nerwande, who was serving as Director of Human Capital and Administration and Acting Town Secretary at the time, Morris Tekwa, Director of Housing, Health and Community Services and Arnold Mandizvidza Kutoka, a former Council Engineer, are facing charges of criminal abuse of duty as public officers under Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
In a statement, ZACC said the trio is alleged to have acted in concert to unlawfully revive and facilitate a land lease for Texas Energy Pvt Ltd, a private company that had initially sought to develop a solar power plant in the Tsanzaguru area of the city in 2018.
The Ministry of Local Government had rejected the proposal at the time due to land constraints and the area’s residential zoning status. However, between September and December 2022, the accused are alleged to have resurrected the previously dismissed application without seeking proper legal approvals or conducting required public consultations, said ZACC.
In a particularly glaring breach, Nerwande signed a 99-year lease with Texas Energy on 28 December 2022, falsely describing the land in question as “open space” when in fact it was earmarked for residential development, said ZACC.
Investigations revealed that the officials deliberately sidestepped statutory procedures, including obtaining Ministerial consent and issuing public notices, both legally mandated steps when altering land use classifications.
The omission effectively invalidated the lease agreement and has triggered widespread concern over how such a transaction could proceed unnoticed for months.
“This case represents a serious betrayal of public trust. By bypassing established protocols, the officials undermined urban planning processes and potentially jeopardized residential development in Tsanzaguru,” said ZACC.
The three accused are set to appear on Tuesday at the Mutare Magistrate Court for their initial remand hearing. If convicted, they face significant penalties, including imprisonment, under Zimbabwean anti-corruption statutes.
As the legal process unfolds, ZACC has reaffirmed its commitment to rooting out corruption across all levels of government, promising that “no one is above the law.” New Zianaption across all levels of government, promising that “no one is above the law.”
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