Mafume, elected in September, is a prominent member of the Movement for Democratic Change , which accused the ruling ZANU-PF party of harassment.
"The sabre-rattling ZANU-PF regime is arresting our councillors in order to cow them into submission," it said on Monday.Zimbabwe opposition anger after arrest of Harare mayor Mafume had been arrested on 25 November on allegations of having allocated residential land to his sister and a colleague. It was while he was on bail on this charge, according to prosecutors, that he tried to interfere with a witness, Edgar Dzehonye, a municipal housing manager.But prosecutors said Mafume had been communicating with Dzehonye and planned to bribe him with the equivalent of $1,500 ."There were existing bail conditions for him including not to interfere with witnesses," Nduna said.
"It is therefore clear that this cannot be cured by any other condition but imprisonment is the only remedy and the accused is therefore accordingly denied bail."We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred, you have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today.
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