Zanu-PF land baron Chivhanga in dramatic 'catch and release'

ZANU-PF Chitungwiza youth leader Taurai Chivhanga was last week involved in a dramatic ‘catch and release', when he was arrested and released with no charge under unclear circumstances on the next day, Zim Morning Post reported.

This comes barely a fortnight after President Mnangagwa directed relevant authorities, which include ministries, Government departments and agencies to leave no stone unturned in bringing sanity to the country's local authorities that he said had failed Zimbabwe.

Sources told Zim Morning Post that Chivhanga was apprehended by members of the Commercial Crime Division (CCD) on February 2 at his Chitungwiza house and made a foiled attempt to resist arrest and flee.

CCD is responsible for the suppression, detection and investigation of serious and complex economic crimes

Chivhanga was arrested on allegations related to illegal parceling out of residential stands valued at USD$90 000.

Complainant is one Shingi Soko.

Impeccable sources told Zim Morning Post that members of the CCD swooped on an unsuspecting Chivhanga who was relaxed at his house and tried to flee in panic.

"The plain clothes police caught him when he was least expecting them and in panic he tried to flee but later came back to his senses.

"He was whisked away by the police and we saw him roaming around in his black car on the next day," said a neighbour who preferred anonymity in fear of reprisal.

Chivhanga was arrested on the same day with another alleged baron Frederick Mabamba of United We Stand Cooperative, which allegedly allocated more than 8 000 stands.

Zim Morning Post investigations established that when Chivhanga was taken into police custody, he went to court and his case ‘collapsed' on the next day at the vetting stage, amid reports that money exchanged hands.

"It is an open secret in Chitungwiza that Tau (Chivhanga) is a land baron who illegally parcelled out stands around the Zengeza 5 area in Chitungwiza and when he was arrested along with Mabamba.

"We were surprised to see him roaming the streets again, I guess some animals are more equal than the others because Mabamba is languishing in remand while he (Chivhanga) is scot free.

"We hear he paid the right people for his freedom," said another source who stays in the dormitory town.

According to some Chitungwiza residents, Chivhanga is famed for splashing out residential stands to friends and once grabbed headlines when he ‘donated' land to a musician.

Zim Morning Post established that in 2014, Chivhanga donated an 800 square metre residential stand to former Utakataka Express band member Gift Katulika better known as Shiga Shiga.

When contacted for comment, Mavhanga said his hands were clean.

He argued that the allegations levelled against him were misplaced as they were based on transactions  that were made before the disbanding of a family company where he was director.

"The allegations raised are based on transactions that were done when I was director of our family company back in 2014.

"The company B Chivhanga Land Developers is now defunct after my parents separated and my father asked us to have new directorship.

"So I have done nothing wrong and I think this is work of political enemies who want to tarnish my image.

"I did not pay anyone, the law took its course and the courts found no reason to put me on remand," he said.

Meanwhile, land barons, working in connivance with local councils, are accused of  fleecing desperate home-seekers by allocating them land on wetlands and other areas earmarked for other purposes.