FORMER Harare mayor Hebert Gomba, pictured, has been indicted to stand trial at the High Court on January 24 on allegations of abuse of office emanating from the sale of Mt Pleasant Sports Club.
Gomba was indicted together with council officials Stanley Ndemera and Charles Kandemiri, while Stanley Chimbetete had his charges withdrawn before plea.
The trio was indicted by regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje who also altered their reporting condition to once a month.
It is the State’s case that in august 2019 Gomba used his position as mayor and offered the sports club for sale to Hardspec Investments which was represented by Mavis Madzivanzira and Pauline Gutsa.
He allegedly then instructed council officials, Ndemera, the finance director, to go and meet with the two ladies and show them the piece of land they wanted to buy and also instructed him to prepare a report recommending the outright sale of the land.
It is also alleged that Gomba went on to instruct Luckson Mukunguma, chairperson of the council’s finance and development committee, to hold a special meeting to facilitate the sale of the land on September 5 2019 before tabling the sale before a full council meeting on the same day.
The court heard the sale was approved by the full council meeting yet the sale to Hardspec Investments had been made a day before.
The stand was sold for $23 923 340 yet Mt Pleasant Sports Club was quoted US$2.3 million.
The State alleges that Gomba did not comply with the requirements of the Urban Councils Act before the sale.
Ndemera allegedly did not comply with the requirements of the Urban Councils Act before the sale and did not submit a copy of the notice referred to in terms of the act to the minister not later than the date of the first publication of that notice in newspapers.