Owners risk losing their residential stands

OVER 2 200 people who purchased residential stands in Chitungwiza risk losing the properties after it emerged the stands were irregularly converted from other uses into residential. A recommendation to return the stands to their original uses has been tabled and is now subject to council approval.

Councillors and senior managers have been implicated in the biggest land scam to hit the municipality. The special investigation committee within the resuscitation team appointed by Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo presented its findings to a special council meeting yesterday.

Councillors asked to be allowed time to study contents of the findings before adopting the 31-page report. But the mood was at the council head office was tense as councilors individually left the premises to ponder on the way forward amid reports that those implicated in corrupt activities face the boot.

According to the report availed by some of the councillors who claim they are clean â€" the council does not have a policy to deal with the allocation, relocation and repossession of housing stands. The investigation revealed that numerous church, school, recreational and crèche sites and open spaces were converted into residential stands without following proper procedures.

"The numerous church, school, recreational and crèche sites and open spaces that were illegally converted into residential stands gave birth to more than 2 200 stands," reads part of the report.

The report alleges that council officials indiscriminately repossessed church, school, recreational and crèche sites and open spaces and reallocated as per the original use or "simply changed the use to residential without following the procedures".

Private agents sold the stands for a minimum US$4 000 and up to US$6 500. Council was paid US$200 as service fees. Some of the buyers were made to think they were buying from council.

In St Mary's 358 stands were created on a site reserved for a school while in Zengeza 3 (1 868) stands were illegally created, 124 in Zengeza 4, 56 Unit H, 168 in Unit K, 54 in Units N,O and P, 58 in Unit M, 94 on a wetland in Unit J/K, another 30 in Unit P, 27 in Zengeza 1 and 61 in Unit O. Another 122 stands do not appear on site plans. Several other stands were created around the town.

Some of the councillors implicated in the land deals are Boniface Manyonganise, fired Clr Tineyi Kanyama, Jacob Rukweza, Brighton Mazhindu, Muchawaya, Usaiwevhu, Rangarirai Mutingwende, Muridzi.  Suspended town clerk Mr Godfrey Tanyanyiwa, director of works Engineer Alfonce Tinofa and a Mr Dembetembe are among the officials named in the land scam.