News / National
Chiyangwa allocated land meant for road, nothing will done to him
25 Aug 2024 at 11:21hrs | Views
A commission investigating issues at the Harare City Council has been informed that controversial businessman Phillip Chiyangwa was allocated land in a prime suburb of the capital that was originally designated for a road.
The land is now at the center of a heated dispute between Chiyangwa and Chinese investors who developed a high-end complex on it.
Zvenyika Chawatama, the council's director of works, admitted last week before the Justice Maphios Cheda-led commission that he made an error by allowing the Chinese firm JC Delonics to develop the land. "It was an error on the city council's part," Chawatama acknowledged.
The commission learned that the land in question was reserved for road expansion, raising questions about the legitimacy of Chiyangwa's claim to it. A deed of settlement had been previously established between Chiyangwa and the council regarding this land.
When asked if it was council policy to sell land meant for road expansion, Chawatama confirmed it was not. The commission also discussed whether Chiyangwa's Pinnacle Holdings was rightfully entitled to the land that JC Delonics developed, as it was supposed to be reserved for road use.
JC Delonics, owned by Jesse Zhang and Zimbabwean co-director Nicholas Mandeya, had developed a restaurant at 617 Windmill Lane in Helensvale. Mandeya testified that Chiyangwa had threatened them through phone calls, allegedly telling them to return to their country and asserting his untouchable status.
The company is currently seeking to recover over $200,000 spent on constructing a car park on the land before being halted by allegations that it belonged to Chiyangwa's Pinnacle Holdings.
Truth Diggers, the investigative arm of Alpha Media Holdings, first reported the conflict between Chiyangwa and Delonics in July. Documents obtained by Truth Diggers reveal that Harare City Council had initially granted Delonics the rights to develop the land but canceled several permits four months into the project in November last year. The Chinese investors have reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and also reached out to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's office for assistance.
The land is now at the center of a heated dispute between Chiyangwa and Chinese investors who developed a high-end complex on it.
Zvenyika Chawatama, the council's director of works, admitted last week before the Justice Maphios Cheda-led commission that he made an error by allowing the Chinese firm JC Delonics to develop the land. "It was an error on the city council's part," Chawatama acknowledged.
The commission learned that the land in question was reserved for road expansion, raising questions about the legitimacy of Chiyangwa's claim to it. A deed of settlement had been previously established between Chiyangwa and the council regarding this land.
JC Delonics, owned by Jesse Zhang and Zimbabwean co-director Nicholas Mandeya, had developed a restaurant at 617 Windmill Lane in Helensvale. Mandeya testified that Chiyangwa had threatened them through phone calls, allegedly telling them to return to their country and asserting his untouchable status.
The company is currently seeking to recover over $200,000 spent on constructing a car park on the land before being halted by allegations that it belonged to Chiyangwa's Pinnacle Holdings.
Truth Diggers, the investigative arm of Alpha Media Holdings, first reported the conflict between Chiyangwa and Delonics in July. Documents obtained by Truth Diggers reveal that Harare City Council had initially granted Delonics the rights to develop the land but canceled several permits four months into the project in November last year. The Chinese investors have reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and also reached out to President Emmerson Mnangagwa's office for assistance.
Source - newsday
