The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) faction led by self-styled interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu has been rocked by scandal after one of its most prominent councillors was convicted of corruption. Ward 26 councillor Mpumelelo Moyo, who chaired Bulawayo’s influential Finance and Development Committee, has been sentenced to prison for soliciting a US$20,000 bribe from potential investors.
Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Richard Ramaboea delivered the ruling this week, handing Moyo an 18-month custodial sentence. Six months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving the embattled councillor to serve 12 months behind bars. The conviction has stirred both political and civic debate, not only about corruption in municipal structures but also about the shadow cast by Tshabangu’s controversial factional leadership.
According to the State’s case, Moyo abused his powerful position in the Finance and Development Committee by exerting pressure on Labenmon Investments, a company that had applied for land in Cowdray Park to build a cement manufacturing plant. Court papers revealed that Moyo persistently approached the company’s representative, Tsitsi Nyathi, demanding a US$20,000 payment to “facilitate” smooth passage of the land deal through council processes.
His persistence triggered suspicion, and Nyathi reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC). Working with law enforcement authorities, ZACC set up a sting operation to catch Moyo in the act. The trap was sprung at Nyathi’s residence, where Moyo was arrested red-handed receiving the cash.
The arrest was initially sensational, as Moyo was charged alongside Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu. However, after a full trial, prosecutors failed to link Ndlovu to the corrupt transaction, and he was acquitted. Moyo, by contrast, was found to have been the key architect and beneficiary of the bribery scheme.
Top Tshabangu Ally Jailed Over US$20,000 Bribe Scandal
The conviction has broader political implications because of Moyo’s close association with Sengezo Tshabangu, who has become one of the most polarising figures in Zimbabwe’s opposition politics. Virtually unknown until late 2023, Tshabangu declared himself the CCC’s interim secretary-general and orchestrated the mass recall of elected opposition councillors and Members of Parliament. His moves, seen by many as engineered to benefit the ruling ZANU-PF, fractured the opposition and eroded its control of local authorities.
Despite lacking grassroots legitimacy, Tshabangu won recognition in Parliament and in the courts, allowing him to proceed with the recalls. Critics described his ascendancy as a political coup, backed by shadowy alliances.
Within this context, Moyo’s conviction is not just a personal downfall but a symbolic blow to Tshabangu’s faction. As chair of the Finance and Development Committee, Moyo wielded influence over key decisions shaping Bulawayo’s urban economy. His role was instrumental in helping Tshabangu establish a foothold within the opposition’s structures. Analysts say his exposure as corrupt undermines whatever moral authority Tshabangu’s camp sought to project.
“Corruption in local government has long weakened service delivery,” said political commentator Vusumuzi Sibanda. “But when it involves opposition councillors aligned to Tshabangu—already a controversial figure—it adds weight to suspicions that his faction thrives on manipulation and personal enrichment rather than principles of democracy.”
During the trial, Moyo’s lawyer, Prince Butshe, urged the court to show leniency, stressing that his client was a first-time offender and a family breadwinner. He argued that imprisonment would unduly punish Moyo’s dependents, proposing instead a suspended sentence coupled with community service at Emganwini Clinic.
Magistrate Ramaboea, however, rejected the plea. In his ruling, he emphasised that corruption was a cancer eating away at governance and public trust in institutions. He stressed the need for deterrent sentencing, particularly against public officials entrusted with responsibility for communal resources.
“Those who solicit or accept bribes not only break the law but also betray the very communities they are elected to serve,” Ramaboea said. “This court cannot be seen to encourage such conduct by handing down lenient sentences.”
Moyo’s incarceration leaves a vacuum in Bulawayo’s local government, particularly in the Finance and Development Committee, which oversees critical issues of land allocation, budgeting, and investment approvals. His downfall also raises concerns about the integrity of decision-making within the city council.
For the CCC, already weakened by recalls, defections, and infighting, the scandal adds another layer of reputational damage. Ordinary citizens, already disillusioned by erratic service delivery, view such cases as proof that opposition leaders are no different from their ruling party counterparts when it comes to corruption.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations have welcomed the conviction as a sign that institutions like ZACC can play a role in tackling corruption when properly empowered. However, activists warned that selective prosecution could undermine credibility if similar cases involving ruling party officials are ignored.
As Moyo begins his 12-month prison term, the message is clear: public office comes with scrutiny, and the misuse of authority will not go unpunished. Yet, the political undertones of his downfall are likely to linger, especially as Tshabangu’s role in opposition politics remains hotly contested.
For citizens of Bulawayo, the case underscores a grim reality—that corruption at the local level directly undermines hopes for development. For the CCC, it is a reminder that the struggle to restore public trust must start with cleaning its own house.
Source- ZimEye
