Land barons invade Nyatsime stands

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter—

More than 7 000 residential stands at Nyatsime housing development in Chitungwiza have been invaded by land barons who have sold them to desperate home-seekers, leaving those who were lawfully allocated the properties unable to take occupation, an official has said.Urban Development Corporation town planner Ms Constance Muchoni said their preliminary observation from their audit showed that the majority of people who occupied residential stands at the housing co-operatives had no legitimate documents.

Her comments followed a decision made by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere to mandate Udcorp to administer Nyatsime through spearheading the provision of infrastructure and rationalise the area.

Ms Muchoni said land barons took advantage of a court interdict obtained by six A2 farmers against Chitungwiza Municipality whose effect was to stop the town from settling more than 15 000 people who had fully paid for their residential stands.

The court ruled that Government should first get alternative land for the six farmers before the 15 000 stand owners could be settled.

“We made an audit at Nyatsime on uptake of residential stands and our findings were that about 70 percent of people with offer letters had failed to take occupation of their stands because of people who had unlawfully been settled particularly at Bremmaer Farm since it had already been pegged,” said Ms Muchoni.

She said Udcorp would soon rationalise the stands and ensure that those who were bona fide owners of such stands took occupation while those illegally settled would be evicted.

She warned those with no legitimate documents to leave the stands saying they faced eviction once Udcorp completed its audit.

“We will have to do it within the confines of the law. We have given some cards to those with offer letters in respect of their residential stands to indicate that we recognise those that are in council database. We will have to deal with those people who unlawfully occupied the stands,” said Ms Muchoni.

Ms Muchoni said they would not levy development fee on those unlawfully settled because doing so would be legitimising their illegal stay.

Councillor Simbiso Mhike (Zanu-PF), said council was concerned with those people who illegally occupied the residential stands.

“We have since submitted the issue to our parent ministry who have in turn tasked Udcorp to not only provide infrastructure but clean make recommendations on way forward,” said Clr Mhike.

Chitungwiza town clerk Mr George Makunde urged Udcorp not to recognise those people who were not on the council database.

“Those people who bought stands from land barons should not be recognised. If these people are recognised that would give a lot of pressure on council in that we would have to look for alternative land for those holders of offer letters,” said Mr Makunde.