By A Correspondent- Provincial magistrate Charity Maphosa on Monday postponed to September 21 ruling in the matter in which former Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Jason Machaya is accused of criminal abuse of office after the latter failed to appear in court due to ill health.

Machaya’s lawyer Alec Muchadehama produced a medical affidavits which showed that the former minister underwent a surgical procedure on August 8 and his doctor recommended a two-week bed rest for him.

Machaya is co-charged with exMidlands provincial planning officer, Chisainyerwa Chibururu.

Machaya (65) and Chibururu (47) are alleged to have fraudulently acquired stands in the Mapfungautsi residential area of Gokwe.

Both have, however, denied the charges.

It is the State’s case that sometime in 2013, Gokwe Town Council requested for 3 000 residential stands around Mapfungautsi Extension from the Local Government ministry and the request was granted.

Machaya, as chairperson of the provincial lands committee, allegedly made a request of commonage allocation from the 3 000 stands, which entitled him to receive 10% of the allocated stands in line with the commonage law.

The State further alleges that during the period between 2011 and 2017, Machaya abused his office powers and demanded 1 000 residential stands well knowing that he was supposed to only get 300 stands.

As a result, Gokwe Town Council lost revenue in respect of 700 stands.

It is further alleged that Machaya hired a private land developer, Striations World Marketing Property Developers, to service the stands.