adminWE have been reading and following events at Mutare’s Gimboki South Housing Scheme for years now since its inception in July 2007. The scheme is supposed to cater for more than 7 000 families — a significant figure that will greatly reduce the city’s housing waiting list which stands at over 60 000. We remember vividly the ecstatic mood beneficiaries of the project had in 2007 when they first paid their monthly instalments which were supposed to be channeled towards the development of the stands.
Then, the project was earmarked to be completed within three years and many hoped that by 2010 they would be staying at their respective allocated pieces of land with water running out of taps and electricity brightening up the night.
Close to eight years now, no significant progress has been made on the ground, save for the mushrooming of illegal structures that are posing serious health hazards.
Allegations of corruption, bribery and fraud have become the order of the day, with beneficiaries bearing the brunt of this hullabaloo.
Elsewhere in this issue, we carry a disturbing story in which Government has set up a five-member probe team to investigate how beneficiaries lost millions of dollars through fraudulent activities of some leaders of the housing scheme.
We are told that more than 5 000 beneficiaries are feared to have lost out quite a fortune, while double allocation of stands is taking its toll.
We also heard that for the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to second the probe team, a certain section of the housing scheme wrote a damning report straight to the ministry which detailed how badly the scheme was being run.
It is our hope that the probe team will unearth the anomalies that have taken centre stage at the scheme and recommend corrective measures to restore the same.
Beneficiaries really want to know what happened to the millions of dollars they have been paying since 2007 which are not supported by any meaningful progress on the ground.
We stand by Manicaland Provincial Administrator, Mr Fungai Mbetsa’s, statements that those found with dirty hands will be taken to the cleaners.
“Several complaints and reports have been made by beneficiaries alleging that they are losing out money due to corruption, while some were aggrieved by numerous cases of double allocations. We hope that all these concerns will be captured in the report after which Government will take corrective measures to bring order at the scheme as well as ensure that those who took people’s money pay back,” he said.
With the same venom that detectives have arrested land barons in Harare, the findings of the probe teams must trigger the same action.
It is as clear as day that money was stolen and what we only want to ascertain are the figures.
For this whole exercise to bear fruit, beneficiaries must come out in the open and give evidence to the probe team so that they come up with a concrete detailed report that captures everything.
In the end what is needed is to compel those who took people’s money to pay back.
Revelations by some executive members of the project that all is not well is clear evidence that the ongoing probe will nab quite a number of suspects.
What is needed at the end of the day is to clean up the mess and ensure that people are housed decently.
Online Reporter