The Sunday Mail
Vusumuzi Dube
The MDC-T-run Bulawayo City Council is selling a residential stand belonging to Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko’s family after turning down a request to donate it to charity.
The Mphokos bought the stand in Selbourne Park suburb for Z$101 675 in 1998, and recently asked the council for permission to donate it to Zulu Duma Mahlangu Trust, which wanted to construct a boarding house.
However, MDC-T councillors argued that an undeveloped residential stand could not be sold or donated and passed a motion to repossess the property.
Part of a council report reads, “Council, on 16 February 1998, sold the stand to Mrs Laurinda Mphoko at a cost of Z$101 675. The purchase price was paid in full on 16 February 1998. The agreement of sale was signed on 27 February 1998. The stand measures 2 076 square metres and there are no developments on the stand.
“The financial director noted that the stand is (being billed) in the name of Mrs L Mphoko, presumably the wife of the Vice-President of Zimbabwe. In the department’s view, in terms of the Agreement of Sale, the stand cannot be ceded to a third party unless there are improvements on it. As such, the current the owner cannot cede his rights to a third party.
“The mayor (councillor Martin Moyo) explained that according to council policy, a stand that had not been developed could not be sold or donated unless the stand had been fully developed. The above-mentioned stand was a residential stand and was not designated for a boarding house.”
The local authority said: “Council rescinds its decision of 16 February, 1998 that had allocated Mrs L Mphoko Stand 14440 Selbourne Park. Council allocates stand 14440 Selbourne Park at a selling price of US$12 000, excluding value added tax at a minimum building clause of a plinth area of 160 square metres.
“The establishment of a boarding house be subject to application for special consent approval for a development permit through the director of engineering services be not adopted and instead the donation of the stand be not acceded to for reasons detailed in the report.”
