News / National
Chombo summoned by Parliament over demolitions
21 Jul 2014 at 07:25hrs | Views
Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo has been summoned to appear before a parliamentary committee to explain a recent decision to demolish unplanned houses in Chitungwiza and other towns.
According to a notice of portfolio committee meetings for this week, Chombo would be expected to answer questions from the local government, rural and urban development committee chaired by Irene Zindi, Zanu-PF MP for Mutasa South constituency.
Government last year announced plans to raze down more than 10 000 houses that were built on wetlands without authority from the local authority.
Deputy Local Government minister Joe Matiza is in charge of the task to demolish the houses after heading an audit team that comprised of environmental officials and police.
Initially, the demolitions were set for January after the audit report was handed over to government, but it was blocked by a court order which ruled the exercise as unconstitutional.
A Chitungwiza magistrate interdicted the municipality from demolishing residential properties deemed unsafe and built on undesignated sites until they offered the sitting tenants an alternative residential place.
The magistrate granted a provisional order after a pressure group, Chitungwiza Residents' Trust (Chitrest), acted on behalf of affected residents to bar the local authority from knocking down residents' properties.
Despite the court order, Chombo and his deputy have remained adamant that demolitions would go ahead, citing health threats posed by the houses. According to the report, some homes were built on wetlands, along power lines and some on top of sewer lines, putting both individuals and the environment at risk.
According to the Constitution of the country, government is not allowed to demolish anyone's residential property without offering an alternative. Other areas targeted by the clean-up exercise include Manyame rural, as according to the report, people were settled in the communal lands without authority from the rural district council and without following laid down rules.
The report stated that unsuspecting home-seekers paid nearly $30 million to land barons with some of them like a Zanu-PF councillor Fredrick Mabamba, having been expelled from council by Chombo after he was implicated in the land deals.
The report recommended immediate prosecution of all perpetrators of illegal land invasions, subdivisions allocation and sale without the responsibility from council, but until today no one has been arrested or questioned.
Also appearing in parliament this week is Lands minister Douglas Mombeshora before a portfolio committee on lands and resettlement to explain the finalisation of the 99-year-lease agreement.
The committee is chaired by Mbire South MP David Butau.
Josiah Hungwe, the minister of Psycho Motor Industry Activities, has also been summoned to appear before a thematic committee on Millennium Development Goals to explain how his ministry relates to achieving of MDGs.
According to a notice of portfolio committee meetings for this week, Chombo would be expected to answer questions from the local government, rural and urban development committee chaired by Irene Zindi, Zanu-PF MP for Mutasa South constituency.
Government last year announced plans to raze down more than 10 000 houses that were built on wetlands without authority from the local authority.
Deputy Local Government minister Joe Matiza is in charge of the task to demolish the houses after heading an audit team that comprised of environmental officials and police.
Initially, the demolitions were set for January after the audit report was handed over to government, but it was blocked by a court order which ruled the exercise as unconstitutional.
A Chitungwiza magistrate interdicted the municipality from demolishing residential properties deemed unsafe and built on undesignated sites until they offered the sitting tenants an alternative residential place.
The magistrate granted a provisional order after a pressure group, Chitungwiza Residents' Trust (Chitrest), acted on behalf of affected residents to bar the local authority from knocking down residents' properties.
Despite the court order, Chombo and his deputy have remained adamant that demolitions would go ahead, citing health threats posed by the houses. According to the report, some homes were built on wetlands, along power lines and some on top of sewer lines, putting both individuals and the environment at risk.
According to the Constitution of the country, government is not allowed to demolish anyone's residential property without offering an alternative. Other areas targeted by the clean-up exercise include Manyame rural, as according to the report, people were settled in the communal lands without authority from the rural district council and without following laid down rules.
The report stated that unsuspecting home-seekers paid nearly $30 million to land barons with some of them like a Zanu-PF councillor Fredrick Mabamba, having been expelled from council by Chombo after he was implicated in the land deals.
The report recommended immediate prosecution of all perpetrators of illegal land invasions, subdivisions allocation and sale without the responsibility from council, but until today no one has been arrested or questioned.
Also appearing in parliament this week is Lands minister Douglas Mombeshora before a portfolio committee on lands and resettlement to explain the finalisation of the 99-year-lease agreement.
The committee is chaired by Mbire South MP David Butau.
Josiah Hungwe, the minister of Psycho Motor Industry Activities, has also been summoned to appear before a thematic committee on Millennium Development Goals to explain how his ministry relates to achieving of MDGs.
Source - Zim Mail
