Own Correspondent
Harare City Council councilor Blessing Duma has taken council bosses to High Court over double allocation of land and selling of non-existent land.
The first respondent in the matter is director of Human Resources Jabulani Duve, the second respondent is the chamber secretary Warren Chiwawa, the third respondent is the Harare City Council principal allocation officer Edgar Dzehonye and fourth and fifth respondent Munyaradzi Pindura and Lawrence Nyajena.
“I am a duly elected councillor for ward 29 Budiriro here in Harare, I am also the then chairman for the audit council for the City of Harare. I am also a resident in the area of jurisdiction for the City of Harare. It is my submission that l have a locus stand in all issues which concern council resolutions and the general administration of the area where l represent the general electorate,” reads the court papers.
“I, the undersigned Blessing Duma, do hereby make oath and state as follows, I am the Applicant in this matter and the facts deposed herein are within my personal knowledge and to the best of my belief true and correct.
“I have approached this honourable court seeking a compelling order for the Duve and Chiwawa to act on Council Resolutions and recommendations made by the full council sitting at Townhouse whose resolutions have not been implemented since 2024 November. I shall recapitulate the history of the matter as follows,” he added.
Duma said he would be appointed Chairman of the Audit Committee sometime in 2023.
He said his duty was to ascertain whether funds and assets of Council are applied to purpose intended and are consistent with any regulations and standing orders issued by council or Minister of Local Government.
He said clothed in the jackets of the Audit Chair and other committee members they made investigations and interviews upon council assets and allocation of residential and commercial properties system.
Duma said after the investigations they noted double allocation of residential and commercial stands in Mabvuku.
He said the same piece of land was offered to Pure Gold and also to Mabvuku Tafara Land Scheme.
Duma said there was also double allocation of the same piece of land in Mabvuku to Starshine Pay Scheme and Chinamhora.
“There was also a double allocation of land in Kuwadzana for the Herbert Chitepo Pay scheme & BR Pay Scheme. We further discovered that there were individuals who were offered land by council, made to pay for it but unfortunately there was no such land in existence. It is tantamount to council defrauding residents,” read the court papers.
“The scenario was witnessed in Mabvuku where the Vimbiso Pay scheme had offered land and paid for it but the land was non-existent. Budiriro Pay Scheme was also offered land made to pay for the land which is non-existent,” read the court papers.
He said Tinonzwe Pay Scheme in Mufakose applied for land, paid for it and the land was offered to other people. See attached hereto a copy of the offer letter market
“Further we also noted that land offered to FBC Bank in Kuwadzana did not go through proper procedures, particularly that the M.O.U between Council and F.B.C was signed before the expiry of time calling for objections in the advert,” reads the letter.
“While on that we also noted that a company called Carbox was given a piece of land without any agreement of the same. We also noted that they were allowed to develop the piece of land before recommendations made by full council were carried out which include the servicing of the piece of land,”.
He said as required by procedure they are accountable to the council and tabled the finding to full council and recommendations.
Duma said It is among the recommendations that Dzehonye, Pindura and Nyajena be suspended to pave the way for investigations. He said It was further agreed that even after investigations, they should be transferred to other departments notwithstanding the findings of the investigation.
He said it was disheartening that the recommendation to suspend the Dzehonye , Pindura and Nyajena, was not carried out.
