'Chiwenga using the church to amass wealth for himself'?

Former legislator Temba Mliswa has accused Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and presidential spokesperson George Charamba of colluding with senior Harare City Council officials to displace residents of St Martins in order to make way for a new medical facility.

Mliswa, who has recently intensified his criticisms of the Vice President, alleges that Chiwenga abused his office by pressuring the City Council to remove residents who legally acquired land along Airport Road. "Harare City Council were intimidated by the office of the Vice President. He forced them to write letters. Vice President cannot be using the church to amass wealth for himself and George Charamba," Mliswa said.

The outspoken politician called on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to investigate the City Council over the controversial eviction notices. "Here comes the institutions that fight corruption, ZRP, ZACC, you need to investigate Harare City Council. Why did they write letters to displace people who legally own the land? Over US$2 million was paid for that land, then suddenly you think people must just leave because somebody in a higher office says so," he said.

Harare City Council acting Town Clerk Phakamile Mabena Moyo recently issued a three-month notice for occupants to vacate the land, citing violations of Section 24 of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act (Chapter 29:12).

Mliswa's comments follow previous allegations he made against Chiwenga's wife, Minoyothabo Baloyi, whom he accused of running a parallel structure in the Zimbabwe National Army. "City Council, I am going to report you to ZACC for overturning such decisions. That is fraud. If you overturn decisions of this nature because of certain powers, you will go to jail like a joke," Mliswa added.