BULAWAYO – A forensic handwriting expert has told a Bulawayo court that deputy mayor Edwin Ndlovu authored a document allegedly listing councillors set to receive a US$20,000 bribe from a company seeking land to build a cement plant.
Testifying on Monday before magistrate Richard Ramaboea, handwriting analyst Kurauone Madziranyika said samples taken from Ndlovu matched the handwriting on a document submitted by Labenmon Investments, the company at the centre of the bribery allegations.
“The questioned handwriting was authored by the same person who authored the standard handwriting samples submitted in this case — Edwin Ndlovu,” Madziranyika told the court.
He identified consistent letter formations — including “U, B, A, R, O, M” — and the number “7” as matching characteristics between the sample and the disputed document.
Ndlovu, along with Ward 3 councillor Mpumelelo Moyo, who chairs the city’s Finance and Development Committee, is accused of soliciting the US$20,000 bribe on behalf of themselves and 20 other unnamed councillors.
According to prosecutors, Labenmon Investments initially applied to the Bulawayo City Council in November 2023 for 10 hectares of land in Cowdray Park to establish a cement manufacturing plant. The request was denied due to environmental concerns, particularly related to cement dust.
The company reapplied in April 2024 and was this time allocated 5.6 hectares of land.
“After receiving the offer letter, the accused persons allegedly approached Labenmon representative Ms Mapfumo and demanded a US$20,000 payment — said to be a reward for facilitating approval of the project,” prosecutor Nkanyezi Nyoni told the court.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), acting on a tip-off, conducted a sting operation. Investigators arrested Ndlovu and Moyo at Mapfumo’s residence shortly after they allegedly took possession of the “bribe” money.
The trial continues.
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