Harare mayor Jacob Mafume appeared in court Wednesday for allegedly interfering with a key witness, Edgar Dzehonye, in a case where he is facing criminal abuse of office.

He appeared before magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna early Wednesday.

Mafume is alleged to have tried to buy Dzehonye’s silence with usd$1500.

“The accused (@JMafume) offered the witness US$1500 for the favorable testimony that he requested from Edgar Dzehonye, the witness”, read the court documents.

The State also alleges that it was Mafume who called Dzehonye for a meeting in the car.

“The accused and the witness then arranged to meet the following day at a venue and time to be confirmed by the parties. They met the following day..”

Through his lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu, Mafume said he was prepared to deposit $30 000 as bail coupled with other conditions.

Meanwhile, Dzehonye has confirmed he met with Mafume to discuss how he was going to get paid to testify in favor of Mafume.

According to court documents Mafume offered to pay for the favourable testimony.