News / National
Zanu-PF bigwigs accused of new land grab
03 Nov 2018 at 16:08hrs | Views
Three Zanu-PF bigwigs have reportedly grabbed council land for themselves where they are planning to build their own private properties, TellZim News has learnt.
Former Zanu-PF chief whip and now Public Service Labour and Social Welfare deputy minister Lovemore Matuke, party provincial secretary for information Ronald Ndava and former Chiredzi town council chairperson Francis Moyo are at the forefront of the alleged land grab.
Residents say the three, without paying anything, have used their political muscle to take for themselves non-serviced commercial stands close to the 100 medium residential stands that the town council has earmarked for development.
This comes as the Commission of Enquiry in to the Sale of State Land in and around urban areas since 2005 has unearthed massive corruption in Chiredzi and other areas.
Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association Chairperson (CHIRRA) Jonathan Muusha said his organisation will write to President Emmerson Mnangagwa about the 'rot'.
"It is unfair for people to use their political muscle to grab land without paying a cent. That is the highest level of corruption. I am appealing to President Mnangagwa to intervene through the anti-corruption unit in his office so that investigations can be done before the land is gone," said Muusha.
Moyo is alleged to be in possession of an offer letter for a fuel service station and garden flats, Matuke has got for himself a large stand to build schools while Ndava has got land to build a lodge.
The trio is allegedly fronting various housing development cooperatives and selling stands they got for free at exorbitant prices.
Ndava allegedly facilitated the land deals during his stint with the interim commission appointed to superintend the affairs of the town after the July 30 harmonised election and before the swearing in of the new council.
TellZim News contacted Ndava for comment, and he admitted he was in possession of an offer letter which he said he got after making an application.
"I personally applied for a lodge long back. During our term as commissioners, we had no mandate of allocating stands or either employing of firing people. As of Moyo and Matuke's issues, I have no comment for them.
"I am the one who made this land deal a success after I approached the minister to approve it, so I will be extremely happy if my lodge request is approved. There could be someone who is leaking information that I want a lodge but I can't hide it because that is the reality on the ground," said Ndava.
When contacted for comment, town council secretary Charles Muchatukwa said he could not disclose names of the people who got the stands, but promised that every beneficiary would be required to pay.
"We are not at liberty to disclose who made those private applications but we are going to make sure that whoever gets that land will pay to the local authority," said Muchatukwa.
Former Zanu-PF chief whip and now Public Service Labour and Social Welfare deputy minister Lovemore Matuke, party provincial secretary for information Ronald Ndava and former Chiredzi town council chairperson Francis Moyo are at the forefront of the alleged land grab.
Residents say the three, without paying anything, have used their political muscle to take for themselves non-serviced commercial stands close to the 100 medium residential stands that the town council has earmarked for development.
This comes as the Commission of Enquiry in to the Sale of State Land in and around urban areas since 2005 has unearthed massive corruption in Chiredzi and other areas.
Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association Chairperson (CHIRRA) Jonathan Muusha said his organisation will write to President Emmerson Mnangagwa about the 'rot'.
"It is unfair for people to use their political muscle to grab land without paying a cent. That is the highest level of corruption. I am appealing to President Mnangagwa to intervene through the anti-corruption unit in his office so that investigations can be done before the land is gone," said Muusha.
Moyo is alleged to be in possession of an offer letter for a fuel service station and garden flats, Matuke has got for himself a large stand to build schools while Ndava has got land to build a lodge.
The trio is allegedly fronting various housing development cooperatives and selling stands they got for free at exorbitant prices.
Ndava allegedly facilitated the land deals during his stint with the interim commission appointed to superintend the affairs of the town after the July 30 harmonised election and before the swearing in of the new council.
TellZim News contacted Ndava for comment, and he admitted he was in possession of an offer letter which he said he got after making an application.
"I personally applied for a lodge long back. During our term as commissioners, we had no mandate of allocating stands or either employing of firing people. As of Moyo and Matuke's issues, I have no comment for them.
"I am the one who made this land deal a success after I approached the minister to approve it, so I will be extremely happy if my lodge request is approved. There could be someone who is leaking information that I want a lodge but I can't hide it because that is the reality on the ground," said Ndava.
When contacted for comment, town council secretary Charles Muchatukwa said he could not disclose names of the people who got the stands, but promised that every beneficiary would be required to pay.
"We are not at liberty to disclose who made those private applications but we are going to make sure that whoever gets that land will pay to the local authority," said Muchatukwa.
Source - tellzim
