Bulawayo deputy mayor, Councillor Edwin Ndlovu, has been arrested on allegations of attempting to extort US$52 000 from a city businessman, barely a year after he was acquitted in a separate corruption case.
Clr Ndlovu was arrested alongside Ward 28 councillor, Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu, and former Ward 22 councillor, Rodney Jele, following investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).
ZACC spokesperson, Simiso Mlevu, confirmed the arrests, yesterday, saying the trio was being investigated for allegedly attempting to extort money from a businessman over a hotel development lease.
“The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission confirms the arrest of the deputy mayor of the City of Bulawayo, Edwin Ndlovu, together with Councillor for Ward 28, Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu and former Councillor for Ward 22, Rodney Jele, on allegations of extortion involving a 50-year lease agreement for a hotel development,” she said.
According to ZACC, the three allegedly demanded US$52 000 from the businessman in August 2026 in exchange for allowing him to retain a lease agreement entered into in March 2023.
Mlevu said the accused allegedly claimed that another businessman was prepared to pay US$52 000 to have the lease cancelled.
“The three allegedly told the complainant that an unnamed businessman was offering them US$52 000 to have the lease cancelled and advised him that he should match the offer to retain the lease,” she said.
The businessman subsequently reported the matter to ZACC, which set a trap that resulted in the arrest of the three suspects.
They were expected to appear in court today, where the allegations would be formally presented.
The latest case puts Clr Ndlovu back in the spotlight less than a year after his acquittal in a separate corruption matter involving an alleged US$20 000 bribe.
He had been arrested alongside former finance and development committee chairperson, Clr Mpumelelo Moyo, over allegations that they solicited the money from representatives of Labenmon Investments.
The company had been allocated 5,6 hectares of land for a cement-mixing plant.
However, in August 2025, Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Richard Ramaboea, acquitted Clr Ndlovu, ruling that the State had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court found that key evidence linking him to the alleged offence was unreliable and insufficient to sustain a conviction.
The latest allegations are separate from the previous case and have not yet been tested in court. The accused remain innocent until proven guilty.
