Almost a year after Bulawayo ward 26 councillor Mpumelelo Moyo was convicted and sentenced for bribery, his appeal is yet to be set down, raising fresh concerns over court backlogs.
Moyo was convicted on September 5, 2025 by the Bulawayo provincial magistrates’ court and sentenced on September 8, 2025 to 18 months in prison, with six months suspended for five years.
He remains out of custody pending appeal and continues to serve as councillor.
Contacted for comment on the status of the case, Moyo’s lawyer, Tanaka Muganyi of Tanaka Law Chambers, said delays in appeals were not unusual.
“Appeals take time, a year or so is reasonable. You can also check with the registrar for more information on the matter,” Muganyi said.
Moyo asked the reporter to send questions on WhatsApp, but had not responded by the time of oing to print.
“Please do not call, but send the questions on my WhatsApp for record purposes,” Moyo said.
Court records show that at the time of the offence, Moyo was chairperson of the Bulawayo City Council’s finance and development committee.
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He allegedly demanded US$20 000 from Labenmon Investments in exchange for facilitating approval of a 5.6-hectare stand in Umvumila Industrial Area, Cowdray Park, for a cement mixing plant.
Instead of paying, the company’s representative, Tsitsi Nyathi, reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).
Zacc set a trap, and Moyo was arrested after receiving the marked US$20 000 at the complainant’s residence.
Delivering judgement, magistrate Richard Ramaboea said there was overwhelming evidence linking Moyo to the offence.
“The testimony of complainant Nyathi was corroborated by that of the investigating officer. Evidence showed that Moyo had persistently telephoned the complainant demanding payment. The trap operation provided direct evidence of him receiving the money,” Ramaboea said.
In sentencing, the magistrate said: “Bribery by public officials is a serious offence. Corruption undermines public confidence in local authorities.”
Bulawayo United Residents Association chairperson Winos Dube said residents would wait for the appeal to be heard before commenting.
“It’s difficult for us as residents to comment on such a case because the issue is not in court yet,” Dube said.
Moyo was quoted in state media recently hailing the signing into law of the Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 Bill.
He noted that the law will strengthen continuity in local governance, enabling the city to accelerate major infrastructure and investment projects critical to its long-term development.
