News / National
Harare housing co-op leaders in land scam
01 Oct 2024 at 09:01hrs | Views
Two leaders of the Simon Mazorodze Housing Co-operative in Harare have been implicated in a land scam involving the illegal conversion of land designated for schools and a clinic into residential stands, which they allegedly sold to unsuspecting buyers.
The co-operative's treasurer, Patience Magaya, and committee member, Tinotenda Mavhurudza, were arraigned before the courts on Monday, where they were granted US$50 bail each by magistrate Patricia Kamwanda. Their case has been remanded to October 23 for further hearings.
As part of their bail conditions, Magaya and Mavhurudza were instructed to reside at their given addresses and to report once a week to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commercial Crimes Unit until the conclusion of the matter.
According to prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the scam dates back to 2000 when the government acquired Nyarungu Farm as part of the land reform programme, earmarking it for residential and commercial purposes. In 2006, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works approved the subdivision of Stand 3970 Stoneridge Township for housing co-operatives, including Simon Mazorodze Housing Co-operative.
The co-operative was instructed to reserve a specific section of the land for the development of social amenities, such as schools and a clinic. However, in 2019, Magaya and Mavhurudza allegedly began selling this land to home seekers as residential stands, violating the original purpose for which it was reserved.
The alleged fraudulent activity was exposed when an aggrieved member of the co-operative raised concerns, leading to an investigation and the subsequent arrest of the two officials.
The case has sparked outrage among affected co-operative members, who now face uncertainty over the validity of their residential stands. Authorities are expected to conduct further investigations into the illegal sale of the land.
The co-operative's treasurer, Patience Magaya, and committee member, Tinotenda Mavhurudza, were arraigned before the courts on Monday, where they were granted US$50 bail each by magistrate Patricia Kamwanda. Their case has been remanded to October 23 for further hearings.
As part of their bail conditions, Magaya and Mavhurudza were instructed to reside at their given addresses and to report once a week to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commercial Crimes Unit until the conclusion of the matter.
According to prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the scam dates back to 2000 when the government acquired Nyarungu Farm as part of the land reform programme, earmarking it for residential and commercial purposes. In 2006, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works approved the subdivision of Stand 3970 Stoneridge Township for housing co-operatives, including Simon Mazorodze Housing Co-operative.
The co-operative was instructed to reserve a specific section of the land for the development of social amenities, such as schools and a clinic. However, in 2019, Magaya and Mavhurudza allegedly began selling this land to home seekers as residential stands, violating the original purpose for which it was reserved.
The alleged fraudulent activity was exposed when an aggrieved member of the co-operative raised concerns, leading to an investigation and the subsequent arrest of the two officials.
The case has sparked outrage among affected co-operative members, who now face uncertainty over the validity of their residential stands. Authorities are expected to conduct further investigations into the illegal sale of the land.
Source - newsday
