By Takudziridzwa Nyama
Everest Nyamadzawo, a 39-year-old official from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, has been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on charges of extortion.
Nyamadzawo allegedly demanded eight residential stands, valued at over USD 300,000, from Cabletron Enterprises in exchange for expediting paperwork related to compensation for land the company had lost.
According to reports, Cabletron Enterprises was owed 30,773 hectares of land as compensation for swathes initially purchased from the Ministry that was later found to be privately owned.
Despite Ministerial approval for the compensation, Nyamadzawo and unnamed accomplices allegedly delayed the processing of paperwork to pressure the company into giving them the residential stands.