Former Mayor Gomba arrested, charged for ‘violating’ Electoral Act

Former Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba was arrested last night and charged with dubious allegations of violating Section 37 of the Electoral Act.

His lawyer Harrison Nkomo confirmed the development. 

“Yes he was arrested. He is alleged to have violated Section 37 of the Electoral Act, it being alleged that during the 2018 general election he made a false declaration on registration of several voters with his address,” Nkomo said.

Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) on Saturday announced that the 45-year-old was missing after becoming unreachable on his phone just hours after police went to his house looking for him.

It was reported that police had planned to charge Gomba with arson over a 2020 incident in which a car belonging to Gilbert Mbwende, the MDC-T’s Highfield East candidate for the March 26 by-election, was torched outside his home in Belvedere.

It is further reported that his friends claimed that Gomba “went off grid” to wait for Mbwende to withdraw the charges after he indicated his willingness to do so.

Mbwende withdrew his complaint on Sunday, and Gomba then went to Harare Central Police Station with his lawyer Nkomo, sure the charges had fallen away.

He was welcomed by new charges of electoral law breaches relating to voter registration when he arrived at the police station.