BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Incarcerated Victoria Falls City Council mayor Somvelo Dhlamini will spend more time in prison after the Hwange regional magistrate court further remanded him in custody to November 21 to allow for investigations into his fraud case to continue.
Dhlamini from the Douglas Mwonzora-led MDC Alliance was arrested on October 6 on charges of fraudulently acquiring a residential stand in the resort city.
According to his lawyer Givemore Muvhiringi of Muvhiringi and Legal Practitioners, prosecutors opposed bail when he appeared for routine remand on Monday saying they were not yet ready for trial.
“They argued that he could not be granted bail as they are still investigating,” Muvhiringi told VicFallsLive.
“They further asked for further remand saying that the docket is missing and they needed more time to find and carry on with further investigations.”
He revealed they were still waiting for his bail application filed on October 26 at the High Court.
“We hope that he will be granted bail before November 21, but he is generally in good health and his spirit is equally high,” Muvhiringi said.
Dhlamini’s charge sheet says on August 25 last year and at Victoria Falls City Council offices, the mayori unlawfully and intentionally made a misrepresentation and purported to be Valentine Munyaradzi Maseko.
He allegedly purchased stand 1139 in 2003 by making an application using the name Maseko to Victoria Falls City Council under the Wood Road Housing Scheme upon, which the council offered him stand number 1771 Wood Road that needed a deposit of US$25 000.
It was alleged that Dhlamini paid US$10 000 and the balance was supposed to be paid within five days, but he failed to settle the debt and paid $7 500 000 instead.