Municipality repossesses stands

and is demanding that the association hands over funds collected towards servicing of the land.
The municipality allocated the stands in Zengeza 1 to the association five years ago and gave them the green light to service the stands on their own as council didn’t have sufficient money to do so. In a letter dated March 28 2011 to the chairman of the association, Mr Tobias Madzinga, the municipality said it had resolved to have the stands back with immediate effect.
“Please be advised that the Education, Housing and Community Services Community Committee on February 22 2011 recommended that the responsibility of servicing Home Industry stands be reverted to council and the Home Industry Committee be requested to hand over public funds collected towards servicing the stands,” reads in part a letter written by Mrs Jeremia Jumbo.
The council is further demanding payment of US$500 from the beneficiaries for servicing of the stands.
However, St Mary’s Home Industry Association has refused to handover the stands, arguing they had already 90 percent developed. The association handed over the matter to their lawyers who have since written to council informing it that they were going to take legal action against the municipality.
“Our client has highlighted in utter disgruntlement and dismay, that the council is now taking over the servicing of the stands and is requiring our clients to pay US$600 to enable the finishing of the services,” the association’s lawyers Muchandibaya and Associates said.
Further, the lawyers said this was a major rip-off of their client’s hard-earned cash in the letter also copied to the Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development Ignatius Chombo.
“The council had indicated in 2006 that they were not in a position to service the stands and now that 90 percent of the work is done, they want to take over the work that our clients has toiled for.
“We have therefore been instructed by St Mary’s Home Industry Association to highlight that they will not stand to see these injustices and that they will seek recourse of the courts if such a state of affairs continues,” the lawyers said. Vice chairman of the association Mr Moses Mazhande said council had instructed them to continue with development of the stands because the local authority didn’t have money to develop them in 2006. He said the association diligently forwarded with the servicing of the stands but due to lack of financial resources, the pace was slow although most of the work was done and servicing was almost complete.s
Mr Mazhande said during the five years, 18 members defaulted on payment and the stands were repossessed by council and sold to enable consistent development.