The Sunday Mail
The Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Ministry is investigating six MDC-T Harare councillors accused of parcelling land to co-operatives in return for bribes.
Sources last week told The Sunday Mail that Cllrs Paula Macharangwanda (ward 5), Charles Nyatsuro (Harare Central), Special Zuze (ward 26), Luckson Mukunguma (Highfield), Tungamirai Madzokere (Glen View, and the late Lancelot Mudavanhu allegedly pocketed bribes for stands.
Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere would not, however, say the number of stands involved save to say they ran into “hundreds”.
“We have assembled a team from Local Government to investigate the issue and they are beginning this Monday,” he said. “This is only the tip of the iceberg and I am certain that the investigations will unearth massive scandals and corruption in the allocation of residential stands.
“Councillors have been encouraging people to invade open pieces of land and pocketing the money.
‘‘In some instances an individual gets US$28 000.
“These individuals do not pay taxes, they do not remit anything to city council and the local authority is losing out and most of all they are causing chaos in the city, so we are going to be tough on these people.”
In letter seen by The Sunday Mail, dated July 9, 2015, Cllr Madzokere wrote to the city council requesting permission to allocate land to five housing co-operatives in Glen View.
“This letter serves to confirm that I was consulted by management committees of Chimurenga Tarwa Multipurpose, ZimAsset, Mighty Heights and Glen Shata housing co-operatives on their intention to develop residential stands on the remainder of Amalinda, an alternative or both,” reads part of the letter.
Council sources said the councillors allegedly involved in the illegal deals had abused their positions as members of Harare’s various committees to block investigations.
“Councillors involved in the scam are members of the housing and community services committee, environment management and audit committees such that investigations on the issues always proved futile,” a source said.
“They have been illegally allocating land to housing cooperatives and this has been causing a lot chaos in the city,” another said.
Cllr Nyatsuro chairs the education, health, housing and community service and licensing committee, deputised by Cllr Mukunguma.
Cllr Macharangwanda is vice-chair of council’s audit committee, on which Cllr Mudavanhu sits.
Last year, Mr Fredrick Mubamba of Chitungwiza’s ward 25 was sacked after being found guilty of illegally allocating and selling more 8 000 municipal stands.
