By A Correspondent- Five MDC-Alliance Rusape councillors have been arrested on criminal abuse of office charges after they connived to pass a resolution to by-pass stipulated Government tender procedures, prejudicing the local authority of $1,3 million, the state media has reported..

Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure confirmed the arrests made last night on charges of criminal abuse of duty.

“We arrested the following ward 1 cllr Patrick Chipere (51), ward 4 cllr Elizabeth Chidza (43), ward 9 cllr Luckson Zengeni (43), ward 3 Joseph Nyamupera (59) and ward 7 cllr Ndabanengi Mataga (38),” he said.

“The accused persons working in connivance passed a resolution to by-pass the Procurement Act, the resolution was then used to hand pick lawyers Mugiya and Muchadehama who then offered legal services worth $1 300 000 ignoring procurement thresholds and tendering process thereby showing favour to the handpicked lawyers.”