Ex mayor claims MDC wanted him sent to jail
Staff Reporter
Former Gwanda mayor, Lionel De Necker claims that he was today cleared of $20 000 fraud charges at the Gwanda magistrates court and blames his former party the Welshman Ncube led MDC for being behind the efforts of having him thrown to prison.
De Necker a former National Executive Member of the MDC and elected Mayor under the MDC ticket claims to media that some officials in the party were in the lead in trying to get him down. Speaking bitterly, De Necker claims that the matter is not yet over as he is preparing to take legal action against all those who were behind tarnishing his image.
De Necker was accused of selling a commercial stand to two prominent Gwanda businessmen.
Two weeks ago he briefly appeared before magistrate Sheila Nazombe accused of selling the stand to the two businessmen for $15 000 and $20 000.
He wrote on his twitter account soon after the court ” Fraud case against me was thrown out of court today at the Magistrates Court in Gwanda.
“I feel justified, but the damage has been done”.
Recently he posted another tweet saying “Facing one of my toughest battles yet. 
 They want me gone for good. Huge betrayal from former colleagues”.
Sources within the MDC offices in Bulawayo expressed ignorance on the allegations against the party raised by De Necker referring questions to the party Matabeleland South Provincial chairman Pilate Ndebele who was not reachable for comment. However, a party member in Gwanda who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that De Necker had serious personal clashes with some members of the party in the town.
“De Necker has personal problems with a member of they party who happens to be friends with one of the businessmen involved in the case and their clash doesn’t warrant throwing the party into the matter,” said the member.
Between December 2013 to August 2015, De Necker was said to have approached Joseph Mutiyeni, proprietor of Growly Enterprises, and advised him that he was selling a commercial stand, Number 635 Soudan Street, which he had bought from council.
The two entered into a deal and the stand was sold for $15 000, with Mutiyeni initially making a deposit of $5 200 and later settling the balance.
De Necker allegedly later went to Charles Tshuma, proprietor of Oasis Hardware, and sold the same stand for $20 000.
Mutiyeni became suspicious in August last year when he realised that “his” stand was being developed by Tshuma and reported the matter to the police, leading to De Necker’s arrest.
It is still not clear yet to media how the case was thrown out of court.