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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE High Court in Bulawayo has granted $50 000 bail pending trial to Victoria Falls mayor Somveli Dlamini who is facing fraud charges.

Dlamini (53), was denied bail by a Hwange magistrate more than a month ago as the court argued that there was no guarantee that if released, he would not interfere with evidence.

Through his lawyer Mr Givemore Mvhiringi of Mvhiringi and Associates, Dlamini appealed to the High Court, and Justice Maxwell Takuva last Friday admitted him on bail with some reporting conditions.

“The appellant be and is hereby admitted to bail pending trial on the following conditions,” said the judge.

Dlamini was ordered to continue residing at 506 Arcacia Road in Victoria Falls, not interfere with State witnesses, evidence and investigations, report once weekly every Friday at Victoria Falls Police Station and surrender travel documents as part of his bail conditions.

Dlamini, who is a councillor for Ward 9 in Victoria Falls, was arrested early last month by a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) crack team on charges of fraud involving a commercial stand valued at over US$90 000.

Prosecutors allege that Dlamini misrepresented to Victoria Falls City Council when he purported to be Valentine Munyaradzi Maseko so that he could benefit from a stand despite having benefited before.

According to the council minutes, an applicant must not have benefited before from allocation, purchase or lost stands through repossession.

This is in line with the Government directive that a home seeker benefits once in any land scheme.

To circumvent the system, Dlamini allegedly misrepresented and purported to be Valentine Nyoni from whom he bought the stand.

It is alleged that on 15 August 2022 the accused in his capacity as mayor unlawfully and intentionally made a misrepresentation and purported to be Valentine Munyaradzi Maseko from whom he had in 2003 purchased Stand Number 1139 under the Wood Road Housing Scheme. The court was told that Dlamini was supposed to pay a deposit of US$25 000. He paid US$10 000 and the balance was supposed to be paid within five days.

After failing to raise the balance, Dlamini allegedly paid ZW$7, 5 million through a bank transfer.

Zacc, which was in the city investigating suspicions of corruption, picked the anomaly leading to Dlamini’s arrest.

The local authority was allegedly prejudiced of US$15 000 and a potential prejudice of US$66 462.

-@ncubeleon