Three Rusape Council Officials Arrested Over Alleged Illegal Land Deal for Solar Project

Three senior officials from the Rusape Town Council have been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) over allegations of criminal abuse of office tied to a controversial land lease for a proposed solar energy project.

The individuals in custody are Togarepi Nerwande, who at the time served as Acting Town Secretary and Director of Human Capital and Administration; Morris Tekwa, the Director of Housing, Health, and Community Services; and Arnold Mandizvidza Kutoka, a former council engineer.

According to ZACC, the charges relate to the officials’ decision in 2022 to revive and facilitate an application from Texas Energy Pvt Ltd to develop a solar plant in the Tsanzaguru area of Rusape—an application that had previously been rejected.

Back in 2018, the Ministry of Local Government dismissed the proposal due to limited land availability and the area’s zoning status, which prioritized residential development. Despite this, the three officials allegedly moved forward with the project between September and December 2022, bypassing both ministerial approval and public consultation processes.

On December 28, 2022, Nerwande is said to have unlawfully signed a 99-year lease agreement with Texas Energy, misrepresenting the site as designated “open space” when it was actually earmarked for housing.

The trio now faces charges under Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which covers criminal abuse of duty by public officers. They are scheduled to appear for an initial remand hearing today at the Mutare Magistrates’ Court.

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