Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume Arrested
Harare mayor Jacob Mafume was on Wednesday, 25 November 2020 arrested by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
The MDC councillor had earlier told HStv that he was tipped last week of his impending arrest over allegations of illegal land sales.
However, the charges preferred against Mafume have not yet been disclosed. In a statement, the MDC Alliance said:
In yet another case of persecution and weaponization of the law against MDC Alliance members, Harare Mayor [Jacob Mafume] has been arrested by [ZRP]. The charges against him are unclear.
We know that his real offence was winning the mayoral vote for the MDC Alliance. The toxic politics of Zanu PF is aimed at persecuting those who openly display allegiance with President [Nelson Chamisa].
They want to remove him and replace him with a Zanu PF proxy.
In October this year, plainclothes police officers swooped on Harare Town House and rounded up 21 councillors and three journalists attending a full council meeting.
The officials and journalist were later released on the same day without being charged.