Harare mayor Jacob Mafume was arrested again on Monday after he allegedly tried to bribe Special Anti Corruption Unit (SACU) officers working on his abuse of office case.
Mafume’s party, the MDC Alliance confirmed the arrest but said the Harare mayor was arrested at Strathaven Shopping Centre after he responded to a greeting from someone he knows. The party said in a statement:
It is alleged he interfered with a witness. He denies this. After his remand hearing, he went to Strathaven Shopping Centre where he was greeted by a woman he knows.
He greeted her back then plainclothes police arrested him. Nobody was bribed as suggested by [the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana].
Mafume was released from remand prison last week on ZWL$30 000 bail following his arrest on 25 November 2020.
He had been arrested on allegations of illegally parcelling out residential stands to his sister Rotina Mafume and secretary at his law firm Rutendo Muvuti without following due process.
In granting Mafume bail, High Court Judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero ordered him not to interfere with witnesses, to surrender his passport and to continue residing at his given residential address as part of his bail conditions.