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Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
A KWEKWE City councillor has taken the local authority to task over a land deal that has since spilled into the courts.
This comes amid allegations that the local authority parceled out commercial land located in the city centre to a potential developer without following due procedure.
Kwekwe City Council reportedly abruptly cancelled a lease agreement and sold the stand to another interested buyer without a council resolution.
The local authority reportedly sold stand number 1493, 3rd Street in Kwekwe where Sakhile Mbano had been running his Koncern Car Sales since 2011 to a fast food outlet Chicken Slice.
Mbano has since approached the courts arguing that the local authority should have given him the right of refusal as the sitting tenant.
The matter is still before the courts.
During a recent full council meeting, Ward 8 Councilor Edumakomborero Mlambo urged council management to put its house in order.
“We are reading about these issues in newspapers and on social media that there is land that was sold without following due procedure. I think we need an explanation as to what exactly is happening pertaining to the stand. But what I think is that we should have given Mbano the first preference since he was the sitting tenant,” said Cllr Mlambo.
He said council could have been consulted over the matter.
Acting Mayor Msipa directed the housing department to prepare a report on the matter.
Meanwhile, the local authority is also carrying out an investigation over fake receipt books that some council officials are using to give fake shop licences, fleecing council of thousands of dollars.
Councillor Charles Juta raised concern that there were some council officials who were parceling out fake shop licences using fake receipt books.
“We noted a few variables on what was collected and what was received regarding the licence fees. We need appraisal on how the investigations have gone into the issue of receipt books,” said the councillor.
Acting Chamber Secretary, Mr Athernas Chidzurira said investigations were ongoing but said victims were not forthcoming.
“We are investigating the issue but we have challenges with the said victims as they are not forthcoming to reveal the culprit who gave them the shop licences. This then makes our investigations difficult if not impossible, but I assure you that the investigations are ongoing and we are surely getting to the bottom of the matter,” said Mr Chidzurira.
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