adminGeorge Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Government has completed investigations into allegations that eight Chiredzi Town councillors corruptly allocated themselves over 200 residential stands worth $1 million and the findings will be released soon, The Herald can reveal.
The councillors reportedly sold the land on the black market at exorbitant prices. They allegedly allocated themselves the stands through a council resolution on the pretext that they would in turn allocate them to deserving home-seekers in their wards.
However, after getting the land for a song, the councillors allegedly sold them for up to $6 000 each.
This prompted some residents in the sugar growing town to file a complaint against the councillors to Government.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, on Monday said the investigations into the allegations were complete.
Minister Kasukuwere said his ministry was still studying the findings of an investigation team that was dispatched to the town. “We are still studying the findings after investigations were carried out in Chiredzi, where there were allegations of corruption in the allocation of residential stands,’’ he said.
“Where allegations are made, we carry out investigations and we would be keen to go down to Chiredzi after we have completed studying the report on the investigations,’’ he added.
He revealed that Chiredzi was one of the several towns that were being investigated by his ministry following allegations of impropriety by senior officials especially in the allocation of residential stands.
Chiredzi Town is arguably the second biggest urban settlement in Masvingo province after the provincial capital.
Online Reporter