NEW: State land chief director wanted in connection with extortion

Nyore Madzianike

Chief director spatial planning and development in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Shingirai Mushamba, and two principal administrators in the Department of State Lands are wanted by the police in connection with an extortion case.

The trio reportedly demanded eight stands from a land developer for them to process paperwork for the 30.773 hectares bought from the State for US$1 537 676.88.

Mushamba is wanted along with Fortunate Chitambo and Regina Rumbidzayi Nyamowa after they allegedly sent their colleague Everest Nyamadzawo to demand the eight stands from Shepherd Katuruza, the managing director for Cabletron Enterprises Private Limited.

Cabletron bought the land in 2008 in Harare’s Mabelreign, Strathaven and Sentosa.

Nyamadzawo (39), who is employed in the Department of State Lands as Principal Estates Officer appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court today charged with extortion.

This was when it emerged that the police were looking for his colleagues. He was remanded in custody to December 2.

It is the State’s case that sometime in 2008, Cabletron purchased the land from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works for housing development projects.

However, it turned out that some of the pieces of land were privately owned.

As a result, the ministry cancelled the lease agreements for those pieces of land and promised to compensate Cabletron Enterprises with State owned land.

However, the compensation process took long to be executed, leading to Cabletron Enterprises lodging a complaint to the then Local Government Minister July Moyo in 2021.

According to the State, it was during that process that Nyamadzawo and his colleagues allegedly demanded residential stands from Cabletron Enterprises for them to process compensation paperwork.