News / National
Soldier receives $1 500 land allocation bribe
22 Aug 2014 at 06:42hrs | Views
A RUSAPE-based soldier who demanded and received about $1 500 to facilitate land allocation from a desperate land seeker was last Friday convicted of abuse of office and bribery charges and fined $400.
Sergeant-Major Gilbert Makuyana, represented by Mr Leonard Chigadza of Chigadza and Associates Legal Practitioners and denying the charges, was convicted by Ms Patience Madondo owing to overwhelming evidence.
Makuyana (53) was accused of demanding, receiving and pocketing about $1 500 from Norbert Manditsera to facilitate land allocation.
Makuyana was part of a committee that involved officials from the Ministry of Lands and Makoni Rural District Council that had been deployed in Makoni North to correct anomalies created through the haphazard allocation of farmland by fugitive former Zanu-PF Ward 35 councillor James Munetsi when he committed the offence.
The team was tasked to identify stands that could be regularised and put beneficiaries in the Makoni RDC system as well as issue eviction orders to squatters illegally settled in vleis, waterways, mountains and pastures.
The tightening of screws follows an order for the arrest of Munetsi by the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, on allegations of illegal land dealings.
Dr Mombeshora argued that Munetsi abused the name of his ministry by illegally allocating land and asking people to pay for it.
The minister warned people against paying for any land allocations.
The declaration follows reports that about 240 land-hungry people, including those in the Diaspora, were duped an estimated $200 000, by former Ward 35 representative in Makoni Rural District Council.
The cancer was rife in Mayo, Nyamazira, Mutiwegora and Rusununguko business centres.
Among those swindled are members of the Faith in God Ministries, Seventh Day Adventist Church, local farmers and those in the Diaspora, who were made to believe they would be proud owners of business stands, plots, grinding mill stands, flea market stalls and farms if they paid up-front. They were made to pay between $20 and $1 500 to cater for application, ledger, pegging and yearly taxes.
No receipts were issued and the money, estimated at $200 000, was not remitted to Makoni RDC.
Sergeant-Major Gilbert Makuyana, represented by Mr Leonard Chigadza of Chigadza and Associates Legal Practitioners and denying the charges, was convicted by Ms Patience Madondo owing to overwhelming evidence.
Makuyana (53) was accused of demanding, receiving and pocketing about $1 500 from Norbert Manditsera to facilitate land allocation.
Makuyana was part of a committee that involved officials from the Ministry of Lands and Makoni Rural District Council that had been deployed in Makoni North to correct anomalies created through the haphazard allocation of farmland by fugitive former Zanu-PF Ward 35 councillor James Munetsi when he committed the offence.
The team was tasked to identify stands that could be regularised and put beneficiaries in the Makoni RDC system as well as issue eviction orders to squatters illegally settled in vleis, waterways, mountains and pastures.
The tightening of screws follows an order for the arrest of Munetsi by the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, on allegations of illegal land dealings.
The minister warned people against paying for any land allocations.
The declaration follows reports that about 240 land-hungry people, including those in the Diaspora, were duped an estimated $200 000, by former Ward 35 representative in Makoni Rural District Council.
The cancer was rife in Mayo, Nyamazira, Mutiwegora and Rusununguko business centres.
Among those swindled are members of the Faith in God Ministries, Seventh Day Adventist Church, local farmers and those in the Diaspora, who were made to believe they would be proud owners of business stands, plots, grinding mill stands, flea market stalls and farms if they paid up-front. They were made to pay between $20 and $1 500 to cater for application, ledger, pegging and yearly taxes.
No receipts were issued and the money, estimated at $200 000, was not remitted to Makoni RDC.
Source - Manicapost
