Prominent land developer, Smelly Dube who is remanded in prison on charges of selling State land with a value of over US$9 million today marks her 25th day at Claybank Hospital in Gweru where she is admitted on an undisclosed ailment.
She is guarded 24 hours on her hospital bed by guards from
the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services. She was admitted at Claybank on
March 3, 2021 after she had collapsed.
Eyebrows have been raised in Government circles over her
illness as Smelly fell ill after Police phoned and told her that she was wanted
in connection with the alleged illegal sales of land.
After her admission in hospital it became difficult for
Police to charge Smelly because her lawyers argued that she was unconscious,
incommunicable and battling for life that she would not understand the charges.
However, the court ruled that Smelly understood the charges because she was
aware of them before she went into hospital.
Her lawyers later argued for bail but the court again ruled
that Smelly was a flight risk after she claimed that she lost her passport a
few days after she travelled abroad.
This is not the first time that Smelly has not been able to
attend to courts because of illness. Two years ago she failed to attend
hearings of a Land Commission appointed by the President and headed by Justice
Uchena set up to enquire on illegal sales of urban State land. She was given
two opportunities to attend in Gweru but her lawyers said she was ill.
She was then called again to attend the same hearing a few
weeks later in Harare but she fell ill. The Commission eventually wound up its
work without questioning her on the suspected illegal State land sales by her
in Gweru, Zvishavane and Shurugwi. Masvingo Mirror
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