10 corrupt land officers arrested

Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau
At least 10 officials from the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement have been arrested across the country in recent months for engaging in corruption in the allocation of land, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Cde Douglas Mombeshora said that the land officers were demanding different goods in exchange for land. He was speaking on the sidelines of the 8th edition of the Mombeshora Youth sports tournament at Murereka Primary School, Lions Den at the weekend. He warned Zanu-PF officials, traditional leaders and officials in his ministry who engage in such corrupt activities that the net was closing in on them. There have been widespread reports of officers from the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement demanding kickbacks to facilitate allocation of land to desperate seekers. “We have such reports of officials from my ministry demanding cattle, with some paying as many as seven to be allocated land,” said Cde Mombeshora.

“We hear rumours of corruption, with some of it coming from the districts, officials in the party and my ministry. We are going to deal with this corruption.”

Cde Mombeshora said in some instances, officials from his ministry were pegging more land than they declared to authorities and selling the extra pieces.

He said the corrupt officials were using names of councillors, legislators, Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs, provincial lands officers and police officers commanding provinces to dupe the land seekers. “Let everyone be warned that we will not spare anyone who is engaged in corrupt activities in the allocation of land,” he said.

Cde Mombeshora said audits which include physical checks will be done soon to weed out those who did not follow laid out procedures in getting land.