News / National
Chamisa grilled over illegal land allocation scandal
10 Dec 2024 at 06:37hrs | Views
Former CCC leader Nelson Chamisa faced tough questioning from the Harare Commission of Inquiry yesterday over allegations of involvement in the illegal allocation of over 5,000 residential stands and the expedited regularisation of more than 300 housing cooperatives ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
The alleged scheme, presented during public hearings, reportedly aimed to secure urban voter support for Chamisa while countering President Emmerson Mnangagwa's title deed initiative. According to the claims, Chamisa directed Harare City councillors to fast-track approvals for housing cooperatives in the lead-up to the elections.
A key piece of evidence was an audio recording of Councillor Blessing Duma, chairperson of the Harare City Council Audit Committee, instructing councillors to regularise all informal settlements, allegedly under Chamisa's directive. However, Chamisa denied knowing Duma and disavowed the allegations.
"I am not aware of this directive, nor do I know Councillor Duma personally," Chamisa told the commission.
While distancing himself from the accusations, Chamisa admitted that local authorities under CCC often struggled with internal discipline. He criticized his councillors, describing their conduct as chaotic and disloyal.
"There is a lot of tomfoolery and shenanigans within the context of local authorities. It breaks my heart that councillors, once elected, often abandon their mandates and run amok," he said.
Pressed on his failure to restrain councillors involved in alleged illegal land allocations, Chamisa explained that his efforts to introduce party oversight were met with resistance.
"We sought to establish an Integrity and Accountability Panel to regulate councillors' activities, but this was rejected. The councillors insisted that they are accountable only to the electorate and governed by statutes such as the Urban Councils Act, not by the party," he stated.
The commission previously heard that 349 housing cooperatives were hurriedly regularised before the elections. Allegations emerged that cooperatives with known Zanu-PF members were targeted for demolition or denied regularisation, while those linked to CCC affiliates were spared.
The inquiry continues, with the commission seeking to unravel the full extent of the alleged irregularities and their impact on urban governance.
The alleged scheme, presented during public hearings, reportedly aimed to secure urban voter support for Chamisa while countering President Emmerson Mnangagwa's title deed initiative. According to the claims, Chamisa directed Harare City councillors to fast-track approvals for housing cooperatives in the lead-up to the elections.
A key piece of evidence was an audio recording of Councillor Blessing Duma, chairperson of the Harare City Council Audit Committee, instructing councillors to regularise all informal settlements, allegedly under Chamisa's directive. However, Chamisa denied knowing Duma and disavowed the allegations.
"I am not aware of this directive, nor do I know Councillor Duma personally," Chamisa told the commission.
While distancing himself from the accusations, Chamisa admitted that local authorities under CCC often struggled with internal discipline. He criticized his councillors, describing their conduct as chaotic and disloyal.
Pressed on his failure to restrain councillors involved in alleged illegal land allocations, Chamisa explained that his efforts to introduce party oversight were met with resistance.
"We sought to establish an Integrity and Accountability Panel to regulate councillors' activities, but this was rejected. The councillors insisted that they are accountable only to the electorate and governed by statutes such as the Urban Councils Act, not by the party," he stated.
The commission previously heard that 349 housing cooperatives were hurriedly regularised before the elections. Allegations emerged that cooperatives with known Zanu-PF members were targeted for demolition or denied regularisation, while those linked to CCC affiliates were spared.
The inquiry continues, with the commission seeking to unravel the full extent of the alleged irregularities and their impact on urban governance.
Source - The Herald
