adminGilbert Munetsi
CHITUNGWIZA Municipality is under fire from residents amid revelations some members of the local authority dubiously sold land that was earmarked for the construction of a mayoral mansion.
The local authority has since been given a 48-hour ultimatum to fulfil conditions that include making public the process that led to the sale.
An association that represents residents, Chitungwiza Progressive Residents Association, on Monday served Acting Town Clerk Evangelista Machona with papers.
The residents, who are being represented by Lloyd Mashayamombe and Gift Kurupati, argue that two weeks ago, and at an unknown date, Chitungwiza Municipality parcelled out the piece of land that had specifically been reserved for the construction of the mayoral mansion.
While its size and value could not be ascertained at the time of going to print, the piece of land is located near Zuva Service Station, a stone’s throw from Makoni Shopping Centre.
It is believed to have been sold for US$75 000.
It is alleged that with a view to sanitise the sale, the office of the Acting Town Clerk on April 15 convened a full council meeting in Kadoma to sell the gospel of change of use of property into commercial, without following proper procedure as envisaged by the law.
“We assert that the above state of affairs is marred by irregularities which must be addressed by you as soon as possible.
“It is more than worrying that the council has decided to conduct its business in a secretive and scandalous manner to the extent that efforts to engage it have been defeated through the use of falsified and fake promises.
“We note with concern that your actions are a breach to our client’s constitutional rights to access to information and administrative justice.
“To that end, we are instructed to demand, as we hereby do, that within the next 48 hours, you issue a public statement regarding the status of the property reserved for the mayoral mansion,” the lawyers wrote.
The other condition given by the residents is that Council reserves the purported change of use of the property, failure of which they will explore available legal remedies.
“The resultant costs of such courses of action shall be recovered from you,” they said through their lawyers.
Sources, who confided to this publication, named a number of councillors as being behind the deal, revealing the stand was sold to someone who holds the local dealership for an international lubricants company.
The Council yesterday convened a press conference with the aim to “set the record straight.”
But the residents could have none of it, demanding that those implicated in the illegal sale ought to be brought to book.
Acting Mayor, Kivenn Mutimbanyoka, told the media the Chitungwiza Municipality has a right to plan and sell the stand.
Thereafter, a service delivery WhatsApp group was awash with messages from residents who reiterated any sale should be done in accordance with the provisions of Section 90 of Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act. 2.
And, as enshrined in the constitution, Administration of Justice Act and the Public Entities Act.
The legal statutes demands that a committee has to sit, recommend and certify a disposal such as the piece of land under dispute, after which the accounting officer (in this case the Town Clerk) advertises to notify the public and seeks the relevant auctioneer in accordance with the law.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter