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Chitungwiza issues residential stand located in the middle of a road

by Staff reporter
17 Sep 2024 at 19:43hrs | Views
A Chitungwiza municipality works manager, Emmanuel Mushata, has been arrested for illegally creating a residential stand on an earth road and issuing an offer letter to a councillor, in violation of policy provisions. 
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) confirmed his arrest on charges of abuse of duty as a public officer.
Mushata, 45, of Hatfield, was accused of bypassing the Chitungwiza Municipality Housing Policy in November 2019 when he was Acting Director of Works. 
According to a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Mushata identified an open space that was part of an earth road and unlawfully created a residential stand measuring 476 square metres. He then crafted a layout plan, approved it, and handed it over to the Acting Director of Housing Community Services, who subsequently issued an offer letter to the councillor.
The Chitungwiza Municipality Housing Policy explicitly prohibits the allocation of land to individuals without following the proper procedures, and such actions may be considered corrupt and an abuse of authority.

Disgruntled residents in the area, concerned about the irregular allocation, filed a complaint with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, leading to Mushata's arrest by ZACC.

Mushata has been convicted of the offense and is expected to return to court at a later date for sentencing. His actions have raised concerns about corruption and accountability within local government structures, especially regarding land allocation practices.


Source - The Chronicle