Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Bongani Ndlovu has granted former Bulawayo councillor Alderman Rodney Jele US$300 bail in an extortion case.
Jele was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) in August and is accused of demanding US$52,000 from a businessman in connection with a hotel development.
He was previously denied bail by a magistrate but appealed the decision through his lawyer, Kholwani Ngwenya of TJ Mabhikwa and Partners.
In his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Ndlovu upheld the appeal.
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“The decision of Provincial Magistrate Mr Isheunesu Mathoba to refuse him bail is hereby set aside and substituted with an order admitting the appellant to bail pending trial on a charge of extortion,” he said.
Jele is jointly charged with four sitting Bulawayo councillors: Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu, Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu, Mxolisi Mahlangu and Ashton Mhlanga.
The four councillors were recently granted US$500 bail each by the High Court.
Prosecutors allege that the five demanded US$52,000 from a businessman to retain a lease for a hotel development.
The lease was awarded in March 2023 to Mkhuze Global Investments, a company owned by the complainant, for the development of a hotel.
The state alleges that in August this year, the accused approached the businessman and told him that other businesspeople were interested in the stand and were prepared to pay US$52,000 to have his lease cancelled.
The businessman was allegedly told to pay the same amount if he wanted to retain the lease.
The allegations prompted the businessman to approach ZACC, which then mounted an undercover operation.
According to the state, the operation resulted in Jele’s arrest after the businessman handed over US$5,000 as part of the alleged payment.
Jele was arrested while allegedly counting the money at the complainant’s house.
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