Litmus test for Gwanda Council on Official Houses

The Municipality of Gwanda has exposed itself to serious double standards over official residents rented out to former Mayor Lionel De Necker and Member of Parliament Abednico Ncube.

The Minister for Provincial Affairs for Matebeleland South Abednico Ncube was rented a Council House, Number 82 Senondo Township in Gwanda in 1995 when he was first elected as Member of Parliament for Gwanda. According to records at Council, Ncube was rented the house on a special arrangement that he stays within the town as MP while he built alternative accommodation. At that time Ncube did not have a house of his own in the town.

In subsequent elections Ncube lost the seat to MDC candidate Mr Paul Temba Nyathi who also did not have a house in the town. Ncube refused to vacate the house when he lost the seat albeit he had already completed his low density house, resulting in Temba Nyathi being rented a house belonging to the BBR at the Gwanda Railway Station. Nyathi duly vacated the BBR house when he lost the parliamentary seat the next election.

Former Mayor Mr Lionel De Necker MDC was also rented out house number 306 6th avenue so that he resides within his constituency as Mayor as his Hampden residence was a bit out of town. De Necker was subsequently suspended by Minister of Local Government before end of his term. His suspension was held by the courts until his term of office expired at the July 31 elections.

At the end of his term the new council ordered the former mayor to vacate the house move which De Necker has resisted. Council has in the meantime engaged the services of the messenger of court to evict De Necker who has also engaged lawyers to resist the eviction on grounds that his lease agreement with council has no clause stating that he will reside in the house while still in office of mayor.

On the contrary the same council has by directive of the Minister of Local Government sold house number 82 Senondo Township to Mr Abednico Ncube for only $5000. Mr Ncube who has been resisting council eviction since 2008 is said to have deducted all rentals paid for the house since 1995 from the $13000 value of the house leaving him to pay only $5000 for the house. What confuses the situation worse is that Ncube's lease agreement was specific that he was renting the house while he was seeking or building alternative accommodation. Since 1995, Ncube has acquired several stands in the town including a low density stand in porsche Jacaranda suburb in the town where he resides. How and why he went into a massive fight which ended up involving direct interference of the minister for a low cost high density suburb house is confusing greed.

The Council is finding itself in serious double standard in handling the two houses where clear partisan politics is being put at play by the ZANU PF dominated council in favour of its Minister against the former Mayor an MDC member. Council also has a standing housing policy that stops people from multiple ownership of houses when the majority of people in the town remain on council waiting list for accommodation.