BULAWAYO - Bulawayo deputy mayor Edwin Ndlovu allegedly barricaded himself inside his private office to evade arrest by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission investigators, forcing them to hire a locksmith to open the door, a court has heard.

Ndlovu, 55, appeared before magistrate Isheunesu Matova alongside Ward 28 councillor Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu and former Ward 22 councillor Rodney Jele. The three are accused of demanding US$52,000 from businessman Thulani Mthuli Matshazi to stop the cancellation of a long-term council lease tied to a proposed Hilton-branded hotel development.

Prosecutor Milton Moyo told the court that ZACC investigators went to arrest Ndlovu at his private business, Gracious Driving School, but found he had locked himself inside his office. Moyo argued the deputy mayor's conduct was inconsistent with that of an innocent person.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Matshazi's company, Mkhuze Global Investments, was awarded the long-term lease by Bulawayo City Council in 2023 to develop a Hilton Hotel franchise on the site. No development has taken place there since.

Prosecutors allege that Jele arranged a meeting at a lodge in Matsheumhlope on August 14, where Matshazi was told that a rival investor was offering US$52,000 to have his lease terminated. The three accused allegedly told him he could keep the lease only if he matched that offer.

Ndlovu and Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu reportedly served on the council subcommittee responsible for allocating stands and reviewing lease agreements, a position prosecutors say gave them direct influence over the outcome Matshazi was allegedly being pressured to pay for.

The case adds to a string of corruption-related arrests involving Ndlovu, who has previously faced allegations linked to a separate bribery case involving a cement factory development in Bulawayo. That earlier matter, which he challenged as unlawful, remains a point of reference for how the current case may unfold in court.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has increasingly targeted local government officials in Bulawayo and elsewhere over land and lease allocation disputes, an area repeatedly flagged as vulnerable to graft given the value of urban development sites and the limited transparency around how councils award them.

The matter continues, with further remand proceedings expected as investigators build their case around the alleged extortion attempt.