News / National
Govt 'frees' Caledonia from Harare
22 Jul 2021 at 07:50hrs | Views
GOVERNMENT has separated the sprawling suburb of Caledonia from Harare and announced that the underdeveloped settlement will now be under Mashonaland East Province.
This was revealed last week during a meeting of top government officials in Marondera, which was attended by Zanu-PF second secretary and former VicePresident Kembo Mohadi, Zanu-PF deputy commissar Omega Hung we and the party's provincial political commissar Herbert Shumbamhini.
Leaked minutes gleaned by News Day showed that National Housing and Social Amenities minister Daniel Garwe revealed that Caledonia was now detached from Harare, a development that will be regularised.
This was confirmed by Shumbamhini, who addressed the Marondera meeting.
"The issue of Caledonia is now over; the settlement is now under Mashona land East province. As a party, we have started the cell restructuring and verification exercise. We are expecting to come out with a number of cells in that area," Shumbamhini said.
Caledonia, a shanty settlement to the east of Harare came into being through illegal parcelling out of land by Zanu-PF linked land barons.
The area has all along been under Harare, although some residents of the area voted under Goromonzi South constituency.
Most of the residents of the area are Zanu-PF supporters.
The transfer of Caledonia to Mashonaland East province has been viewed as a ploy by Zanu-PF to win back the Goromonzi South constituency that was lost to the opposition party in the 2018 harmonised elections.
Zanu-PF was represented by former Public Service minister Petronella Kagonye, who lost dismally to Reuben Chikudo of the MDC Alliance.
The ruling party has since blamed the loss of the seat to factional wars between land barons in the constituency.
This was revealed last week during a meeting of top government officials in Marondera, which was attended by Zanu-PF second secretary and former VicePresident Kembo Mohadi, Zanu-PF deputy commissar Omega Hung we and the party's provincial political commissar Herbert Shumbamhini.
Leaked minutes gleaned by News Day showed that National Housing and Social Amenities minister Daniel Garwe revealed that Caledonia was now detached from Harare, a development that will be regularised.
This was confirmed by Shumbamhini, who addressed the Marondera meeting.
"The issue of Caledonia is now over; the settlement is now under Mashona land East province. As a party, we have started the cell restructuring and verification exercise. We are expecting to come out with a number of cells in that area," Shumbamhini said.
The area has all along been under Harare, although some residents of the area voted under Goromonzi South constituency.
Most of the residents of the area are Zanu-PF supporters.
The transfer of Caledonia to Mashonaland East province has been viewed as a ploy by Zanu-PF to win back the Goromonzi South constituency that was lost to the opposition party in the 2018 harmonised elections.
Zanu-PF was represented by former Public Service minister Petronella Kagonye, who lost dismally to Reuben Chikudo of the MDC Alliance.
The ruling party has since blamed the loss of the seat to factional wars between land barons in the constituency.
Source - newsday
