Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councilors Chipo Mlotswa and Busani Dube have been released on $100 bail each after being arrested on fraud charges. Two councilors who spent Thursday night in police custody at Chinhoyi Central Police Station face charges of misusing a facility intended to allocate residential stands to councillors.

The allegations, arising from their tenure as councillors, allege that Mlotswa and Dube abused the residential stand allocation system by misrepresenting information, leading to multiple stands being allocated to each. The province alleges Dube fraudulently received $7,272, while Mlotswa allegedly defrauded the council of $6,908.28.

The accusations center on accusations that council members were given housing stands, a privilege reserved for elected officials, at different times. According to the State’s case, this misrepresentation allowed them to acquire property to which they were not entitled, defrauding the local council in the process.

Magistrate Nyasha Marufu granted bail to Mlotswa and Dube on the condition that they reside at the addresses they gave to the court and surrender their passports to the Chinhoyi court clerk.

The two councilors were represented in court by Kudzi Choga, while Rutendo Ngazimbi was present on behalf of the prosecution. While both Mlotswa and Dube deny the allegations, the case continues to unfold.

The bail decision highlighted issues surrounding transparency and accountability in local government structures, particularly regarding the allocation of public resources.