NUST assisting Housing Trusts to cheat its employees?

The so-called NUST Umguza Housing Scheem Taskforce which was appointed by workers after they realized that they have been cheated into believing that R. Dube, who is the NUST Workers Committee chairperson, was facilitating NUST workers to get housing stands through the two housing trusts namely the Zimbabwe Housing Project Trust and the Zimbabwe Project Housing Trust.

The taskforce was mandated to investigate if the Workers' housing contributions were not diverted and if the two trusts had any papers or title deeds to the pieces of land which they were claiming to be developing for the NUST employees. NUST employees were paying the stands subscription through the NUST payroll system and were made to believe that since the money is being paid through the employer the deal was above board.

The taskforce led by Mr Murape came back to the employees after some few weeks of investigations for the first feedback. Mr Murape told the "beneficiaries" that they had found a number of anomalies to the "housing" deals. The anomalies included the failure by the two trusts to produce the title deeds for the pieces of land which they are claiming to have sold to NUST employees, failure by the developers to produce genuine papers to indicate if they were registered as land developers by the responsible authorities and that funds which were meant to be channeled to another "developer was diverted to another" developer. The Taskforce clearly pointed out that there was no hope for NUST employees in getting stands under the current situation. NUST workers then asked the taskforce to report the case to the police.

No one knows if the police report was finally made but what we know is no arrests have been made so far. What followed was a circular from Mr Murape telling NUST employees that one of the "developers" had pledged to refund the contributors if they write the withdrawal letters. Some have written the letters but none had received the refunds. What followed next was a story in The Sunday News dated 3 November 2013 in which The NUST Director of information was refuting the allegations that NUST employees may have been duped of their money with the above mentioned housing trust. The Director of information went on to say the University had conducted its on information and found out that nothing was amiss with the Stands issue, he went on to say the employees funds were safe with the developers.

The NUST Director of Information's press utterances left NUST employees shocked. When the taskforces was elected by employees it held its first meetings with the University Registrar who clearly pointed out that employees must sort their own issues alone and that the university will never agree to be involved in the controversy, it then surprised NUST employees how the University made a U-turn and instituted an investigation without the knowledge of the affected workers. NUST employees are not even know the names of the employer's investigating team and were even given the report of the investigating team. NUST employees were shocked to know that the employer can setup an investigating team which do not have a single member representing their interests. NUST employees wonder if NUST had finally agreed that it is party to the problems which they are now facing-can the employer st up an investigating team to a case which they had no interest?

After the publication of the story in The Sunday News we saw that the taskforce was now developing reluctance to pursue the case. Infact the taskforce also made a U-turn and started echoing the NUST Director of Information's words, they started telling people that all is well with the stands issue and that people must simply wait in patience, stands will be availed to them by the so-called developers. On the 07th of March 2013 the taskforce went an extra-mile and called the Zimbabwe Housing Project Trust officials to come and address the "beneficiaries". The manager of the trust criticized Mr. R.Dube who is the NUST workers committee chairman and the other rival developer. He labeled the two as very corrupt and cheaters who deserved to be arrested. He portrayed his trust in good light and NUST employees believed in his words. The man is a good orator and good sweet talker, his speech was dotted with a number of a round of applause from the uninformed cheated NUST employees. However, when asked if he had titled deeds to the land which he was claiming to be selling he admitted that he doesn't have any paper or documentation and he also admitted that he is a holder of a fake developer's license?

It is no longer clear who the taskforce is now serving between the NUST employees or the NUST Director of information. From the taskforce's action it is now clear that they are now afraid to be seen contradicting with the NUST Director of information who is one of the senior member of the university or they are under a directions from senior members of the university to suppress the workers' desire to claim back their money in the name of protecting the university's name.I would liken the taskforce to Vatengesi Abatengisi if we were in the liberation war.Reliable sources tell us that some taskforce members are getting their refunds secretly or are selling their "stands" to unsuspecting non-NUST employees land seekers,meaning they are pulling out of the scheme tactfully while telling their co-workers that "All is well".

It's a shame.

Pasi NeVatengesi,Phansi Ngabatengisi.