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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
FORMER Midlands Provincial Administrator Cecilia Chitiyo, Gweru District Administrator, Shepherd Marweyi and five other senior Government officials from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on Friday appeared in court facing criminal abuse of office charges involving more than 11 000 residential stands.
Chitiyo (50) now the PA for Mashonaland West, Matilda Manhambo (59), Marweyi (48), Sifelani Moyo (59), Ethel Mlalazi (65), Chisainyerwa Chibhururu (47) and Everest Nyamadzawo (33) appeared before Midlands provincial magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing 14 counts of criminal abuse of office involving 11 000 residential stands.
The seven were not asked to plead and were remanded out of custody on $200 bail each to 16 March when they are expected to join their co-accused Jason Machaya, the former Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs who is facing similar charges and is on $1 000 bail.
It is the State’s case that Chitiyo who was employed as the PA for Midlands allegedly allocated State land totalling 4 469 stands to land developers by co-signing the offer letters for the State land with the other co-accused Machaya.
Manhambo, who is employed as the provincial projects officer by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing in Midlands also allegedly allocated 2 000 stands to land developers and entities working in cahoots with Machaya.
Marweyi allegedly allocated 5 199 stands to land developers also working in cahoots with Machaya.
Moyo, who is the director valuation and estate mismanagement and Mlalazi who is employed as the principal director of physical planning and state land management in the same ministry allegedly carried out valuation for the State land which had been unlawfully allocated to land barons.
Chitiyo and Machaya allegedly approved the valuations. Chibhururu who is employed as the provincial planner in the same ministry as Moyo and Mlalazi allegedly unlawfully designed layout plans for the State land, plans which were approved by Machaya.
Nyamadzawo, an administrative officer in the same ministry allegedly unlawfully wrote a survey instruction letter to the surveyor general instructing the surveyor general to nominate a surveyor to survey State land to land barons well knowing that her ministry had not allocated that land private developers.
Survey instructions, the State alleges, can only be written in respect of State land allocated to persons and entities by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. Ms Helen Khosa appeared for the State.
Online Reporter