HARARE – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has dropped charges against two Zanu PF activists accused of forcefully taking over public toilets and extorting people in Mbare.
Stanley Maisiri, 43, and Misheck Mberikunashe, 49, had been charged with extortion and criminal trespass but the NPA withdrew charges on Tuesday.
Request for remand papers showed that the complainant was Disruptive Innovation (Pvt) Limited represented by Clement Matsaka. The company has been maintaining the toilets at Mbare Bus Terminus since 2015 through a lease agreement with the City of Harare.
On December 8 last year, Maisiri and Mberikunashe allegedly approached Rodrick Mbofana, an employee of Disruptive Innovation and claimed to be youth members of the ruling Zanu PF party.
The two men allegedly informed the company that they planned to take over the toilets or the company could agree to share the days per week during which they would collect on the fees paid by the public to use the toilets.
Mbofana rejected the request.
On December 19, the two men allegedly returned and ordered Mbofana to remove all his company’s property. They informed him that they were taking over the running of the toilets.
The two allegedly proceeded to change the locks. They collected cash payments for four days before Disruptive Innovation filed a criminal complaint.
The NPA did not give reasons for dropping the charges.
