Mnangagwa scheme hit by scandal

A Harare resident has taken the City of Harare to the High Court after alleging that his residential stand was converted into a presidential community project without his consent, leaving him without the property he purchased from the local authority.

Chenjerai Milton Musonza has cited the City of Harare and the municipality's Director of Housing and Community Services as respondents in the matter.

According to court papers, Musonza was allocated Stand Rem 5807 Glenview, an infill residential stand, in March 2020.

He says he paid the equivalent of US$485,317.54 in local currency for the property, comprising administration fees, a provisional land deposit, water connection fees and sewer connection fees.

Musonza alleges that when he visited the property in 2023, he discovered that it had been occupied and converted into a site for a presidential development project without his knowledge or approval.

According to his application, a community solar project had been established on the stand and a borehole drilled as part of a scheme associated with President Emmerson Mnangagwa's special adviser, Paul Tungwarara.

Musonza says he subsequently approached the City of Harare, which undertook in 2024 to allocate him an alternative residential stand elsewhere in the capital.

However, he claims the municipality has since failed to honour that undertaking despite repeated follow-ups through his legal representatives.

He argues that the council's inaction has left him with no option but to seek relief from the High Court.

In his application, Musonza is asking the court to order the City of Harare to either allocate him a residential stand of equivalent value within one month or refund all the money he paid for the original property.

He is also seeking US$10,000, or the equivalent in local currency, as damages for alleged breach of contract, arguing that the loss of the stand delayed his plans to build a home and forced him to continue renting accommodation.

The case remains pending before the High Court.

The matter has also drawn attention to wider concerns over land administration in Harare, where allegations involving land allocations and developments linked to politically connected individuals have frequently surfaced.

Paul Tungwarara has recently presided over the launch of several presidential empowerment and community development programmes across the country, including borehole, solar and empowerment initiatives. Supporters describe the programmes as community development projects, while critics have questioned their timing and political significance.

The allegations and claims made by Musonza have not yet been tested in court, and the respondents have not publicly responded to the application.