Harare Mayor Mafume Arrested, MDC-A Cry Foul
Harare mayor Jacob Mafume of the MDC-Alliance was arrested on Wednesday, 25 November 2020 by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
He is accused of criminal abuse of office over the allocation of housing stands, his lawyer said.
Lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara told ZimLive: “The charge is criminal abuse of office arising from the allocation of housing stands in Westlea in March 2020. The charges are denied.”
Mafume, the Ward 17 councillor in Harare covering the Mt Pleasant area, was elected mayor in September after a faction of the MDC backed by Zanu PF recalled former mayor Herbert Gomba and over a dozen other councillors.
In a statement, the MDC Alliance said:
In yet another case of persecution and weaponization of the law against MDC Alliance members, Harare Mayor [Jacob Mafume] has been arrested by [ZRP].
The charges against him are unclear.We know that his real offence was winning the mayoral vote for the MDC Alliance. The toxic politics of Zanu PF is aimed at persecuting those who openly display allegiance with President [Nelson Chamisa].
They want to remove him and replace him with a Zanu PF proxy.
Mafume is expected to appear in court on Thursday.
