BY VICFALLSLIVE REPORTER
Victoria Falls mayor Somvelo Dhlamini is expected to appear in court today following his dramatic arrest on Thursday by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on allegations of fraud.
Dhlamini’s arrest was a culmination of a vicious power struggle at the MDC Alliance controlled local authority after town clerk Ronnie Dube was frog marched out of his office on Tuesday by a group of residents and war veterans.
The mayor was accused of orchestrating Dube’s humiliation after the town clerk ignored a move to suspend him over allegations of corruption.
In a brief statement on Thursday, ZACC said Dhlamini was charged for fraud or alternatively concealing from a principal interest in a transaction.
The charges are said to be emanating from an alleged fraudulent purchase of a residential stand in a low density area by the mayor.
Dhlamini has previously been arrested over the same allegations.
He was also suspended from the mayoral position by the MDC Alliance when it was still led by Nelson Chamisa only to be reinstated by Douglas Mwonzora after he seized control of the opposition party.
The angry war veterans and residents accused Dube of corruption and mismanagement of the local authority’s finances.
Dube, who has been under fire over a US$80 000 car loan he got from council, allegedly ignored his suspension by Dhlamini last month and has been reporting for work.
Dhlamini had on Tuesday told VicFallsLive that a group of about 15 people, who included war veterans and members of the Hwange District Residents Association, stormed the town clerk’s office at around 4PM and instructed him to vacate his office to pave way for investigations into the allegations raised against him.
“We did not know that they were coming,” the mayor said.
“I just received a call from them when they were already there and they invited me to his office,” Dhlamini said.
“It was around 4PM and they forcefully ejected him saying they were not happy with the level of corruption and mismanagement, which has resulted in poor service delivery.
“They told him that investigations were directed towards corrupt handshakes that he has received and the car that he recently bought.
“They exchanged words where he questioned the source of their allegations, but they eventually took him out and locked his office before putting a key blocker.”
Victoria Falls ratepayers have been boycotting the city council’s 2023 budget consultation meetings demanding answers over various allegations of corruption.
Residents boycotted meetings held last month and demanded to be first addressed by council over the alleged irregular sale of commercial stands and the US$89 000 loan that was given to Dube to buy a car, a luxury handshake car for the mayor and leasing of breweries.
The Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association has since written a letter to relevant government ministries, police and parliament asking them to investigate the allegations.
They said they had proof of corrupt deals by the town clerk and councillors.
Victoria Falls residents, mainly in the high density suburbs, have endured over six months without water and the perennial shortage has been worsening since August.
Residents argue that poor service delivery is caused by mismanagement, although council recently told VicFallsive that the issue of water shortages had to do with rising demand during the summer season.