Neville Mutsvangwa Granted $1000 Bail

Harare businessman Neville Mutsvangwa and his two co-accused have been granted $1000 bail each by the High Court, pending their trial on charges of illegal foreign currency dealings.

Mutsvangwa is also facing an additional charge of possession of an unlicensed Starlink router. The three had initially been denied bail by a Harare magistrate, Mr. Denis Mangosi, who cited concerns that they were a flight risk and could interfere with state witnesses.

However, the three appealed the bail denial to the High Court, which has now granted them $1000 bail each as they await trial.

The state had opposed bail, arguing that the accused were facing serious charges. Police also faced difficulties in arresting Mutsvangwa, who initially denied them entry to his Mt. Pleasant home. When police eventually gained access by cutting his electric fence and climbing over his gate, they had to search for Mutsvangwa, eventually finding him hiding between a precast wall and a pile of sacks containing waste.

In a separate raid, a team of detectives visited the Mumba Money Transfer office in Harare’s city center, where they found one Majachani serving clients. Police recovered $3,890, some computers, a register of transactions, and over 20 Visa cards from the office.

The High Court’s decision to grant bail to the three accused has been met with mixed reactions, with some questioning whether the bail amount is sufficient given the seriousness of the charges.