ZANU PF Central Committee member Dexter Taona Nduna (53) was arrested last week for illegally collecting parking fees from motorists in Chegutu.
The former Chegutu West MP appeared before a magistrate in Chegutu on Saturday, facing fraud charges, and was remanded in custody.
Prosecutor Tafadzwa Vhore told the court that Nduna deceived motorists by claiming that Team Chapter, a company connected to him, was authorised to collect vehicle parking fees in the town. Said Vhore (via ZimLive):
The accused person made a representation to cause…to act upon the misrepresentation to his prejudice by telling him false demands on behalf of Chegutu municipality claiming that he wanted cash for parking.
Nduna was represented by Unite Saizi from Saizi Law Chambers. The court deferred the matter to Tuesday for bail ruling.
Last week Nduna’s attempt to seize parking management in Harare from City Parking (Private) Limited, which is fully owned by the City of Harare, failed.
He later admitted that he had not performed the necessary due diligence before announcing that Team Chapter would take over parking management in Harare starting October 7.
During the same week, Nduna publicly apologised to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for attending the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) graduation ceremony the previous month when he was not on the list of graduands.
Nduna, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Substantive Laws Degree, sat among the graduates during the ceremony despite not graduating after he failed three courses: Energy and Mining Law, Labour Law, and Language Acquisition and Intercultural Communication Literacy (Chinese Language).
More: Pindula News