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Senior Court Reporter
Illegal land deals involving the sale of public land have sunk Mutoko Rural District Council chief executive officer Peter Sigauke and town planner Enock Mukwekwe now serving effective two-year jail sentences for selling off residential stands they carved out of Chinzanga Beer Hall yard and part of a bus terminus and pocketing US$12 000.
Murehwa magistrate Ms Chiedza Gatsi suspended 12 months of the 36-month jail term for five years for both of them on condition of good behaviour and has ordered them to pay back the US$12 000.
All decisions regarding disposal of council properties are made after authorisation by a full council meeting and following a resolution stating the action to be taken through advertising in the media and inviting bidders.
Contrary to their duties as public officers and without approval from the rural district council, Sigauke and Mukwekwe pegged three unnumbered stands within Chinzanga Beer Hall stand and sold them to Tinashe Mazarura, Gabriel Karimazondo and Trust Kachidza.
They then pocketed US$12 000 from the sales.
Sigauke and Mukwekwe then unlawfully created three commercial stands at the old bus terminus and sold two to Econet Wireless and Zvisineyi Chitiyo, while the third remained in the council’s land bank.
But the investigation into what the two were doing and uncovering the mess did not start until Sigauke also allocated stand 4015 to his partner in crime, Mukwekwe, without a council resolution.
The building became a problem and that is when investigations started. The whole illegal land deals were uncovered, leading to the arrest of two who will now probably be together in jail.
Online Reporter