Victoria Falls Mayor Somveli Dlamini, arrested last week for fraud, has been denied bail.
Hwange regional magistrate Collet Ncube dismissed Dlamini’s application for bail pending trial in a case involving the fraudulent acquisition of a residential stand worth US$90 000.
The magistrate said he was not convinced that the mayor would not interfere with witnesses when released on bail.
Last week, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) arrested Dlamini who appeared in court last Friday where his lawyer made an application for bail pending trial.
He said, since he was not a full-time council employee, there were no chances that he would interfere with witnesses but prosecutor, Charlene Gorerino opposed bail.
In his ruling, Ncube cited an incident when a mob stormed Victoria Falls council seeking to block Dlamini’s arrest.
The magistrate said Dlamini had actually proven that he was capable of interfering with witnesses when the same mob that stormed council offices locked Town Clerk Ronnie Dube out of his office before handing the keys to the mayor.
The court heard that Dlamini kept the keys to Dube’s office and only handed them over after the intervention of Zacc.
Dlamini is accused of buying a stand in the resort town under a different name despite having already benefitted from the stands’ scheme.
