News / National
NSSA land puzzle solved
19 Jul 2017 at 06:34hrs | Views
Chegutu Municipality sold land to Dr Philip Chiyangwa's Gabroc Enterprises in 2001 which went on to sell the property to the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) two years later, documents show.
The contentious 526-hectare piece of land at Hintonville Extension is at the centre of an ownership wrangle, with the municipality and NSSA claiming rights to the land.
Things came to a head recently when the findings of an audit by Auditor-General Mrs Mildred Chiri showed that the land had been written off by NSSA as it could not be located.
Chegutu Municipality maintained that there was no proof either supporting Gabroc's purchase of the land or NSSA's subsequent right to ownership.
Documents in The Herald's possession show that a special council meeting held on September 7, 2001 approved Gabroc's application for land. At the time council said it had run out of land for high-density residential development, but suggested that it could be acquired at a nearby farm.
"Such land can be acquired at a nearby farm. For the low-density area development, the land is available and a formal Agreement of Sale is in the process of being drafted," reads part of a letter dated September 10, 2001.
Gabroc Enterprises paid ZW$1 052 000 cash on October 29, 2001 and Dr Chiyangwa made a subsequent payment of ZW$9 468 000 for Hintonville Extension on February 20, 2003.
A letter referenced "Payment for Hintonville, measuring 526 hectares full purchase price confirmation" on the same day acknowledged payment of the full price.
"We refer to our Agreement of Sale dated 29th October 2001 and our subsequent correspondence and write to confirm that your full purchase price has been paid. In the circumstance we are now processing transfer to yourself. We thank you for choosing Chegutu as an investment destination," reads the letter.
A subsequent letter signed by then Acting Chegutu Town Clerk Mr C. Shumba showed that council had no objections to cession of right to a nominee company or institution.
"I refer to your meeting in Chegutu with me on 27 January, 2003 and your request for cession of rights to a nominee company or institution," reads part of the letter dated January 30, 2003. "I would like to advise that council has no objection to that provided our purchase price is paid in full as per the initial council agreement."
Property evaluator CB Richard Ellis consultants put the open market value at ZW$650 million in its correspondence to the NSSA board of directors.
"Subsequent to your instructions, we have valued the above-mentioned property from the plans, layout reports and information supplied by the owner," reads the report.
"It is our opinion that on 20 November 2002; the open market value of the proposed subdivision of Hintonville Farm in Chegutu assuming planning permission has been approved was ZW$650 000 000 (six hundred and fifty million Zimbabwe dollars)."
The contentious 526-hectare piece of land at Hintonville Extension is at the centre of an ownership wrangle, with the municipality and NSSA claiming rights to the land.
Things came to a head recently when the findings of an audit by Auditor-General Mrs Mildred Chiri showed that the land had been written off by NSSA as it could not be located.
Chegutu Municipality maintained that there was no proof either supporting Gabroc's purchase of the land or NSSA's subsequent right to ownership.
Documents in The Herald's possession show that a special council meeting held on September 7, 2001 approved Gabroc's application for land. At the time council said it had run out of land for high-density residential development, but suggested that it could be acquired at a nearby farm.
"Such land can be acquired at a nearby farm. For the low-density area development, the land is available and a formal Agreement of Sale is in the process of being drafted," reads part of a letter dated September 10, 2001.
Gabroc Enterprises paid ZW$1 052 000 cash on October 29, 2001 and Dr Chiyangwa made a subsequent payment of ZW$9 468 000 for Hintonville Extension on February 20, 2003.
A letter referenced "Payment for Hintonville, measuring 526 hectares full purchase price confirmation" on the same day acknowledged payment of the full price.
"We refer to our Agreement of Sale dated 29th October 2001 and our subsequent correspondence and write to confirm that your full purchase price has been paid. In the circumstance we are now processing transfer to yourself. We thank you for choosing Chegutu as an investment destination," reads the letter.
A subsequent letter signed by then Acting Chegutu Town Clerk Mr C. Shumba showed that council had no objections to cession of right to a nominee company or institution.
"I refer to your meeting in Chegutu with me on 27 January, 2003 and your request for cession of rights to a nominee company or institution," reads part of the letter dated January 30, 2003. "I would like to advise that council has no objection to that provided our purchase price is paid in full as per the initial council agreement."
Property evaluator CB Richard Ellis consultants put the open market value at ZW$650 million in its correspondence to the NSSA board of directors.
"Subsequent to your instructions, we have valued the above-mentioned property from the plans, layout reports and information supplied by the owner," reads the report.
"It is our opinion that on 20 November 2002; the open market value of the proposed subdivision of Hintonville Farm in Chegutu assuming planning permission has been approved was ZW$650 000 000 (six hundred and fifty million Zimbabwe dollars)."
Source - the herald
