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Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Committee (ZACC) has arrested former Midlands provincial administrator, who is now Mashonaland West director of local governance, Cecilia Chitiyo, and three accomplices on nine counts of criminal abuse of duty committed in Gweru.
Chitiyo, former director of works (Midlands) Matilda Manhambo (63), former provincial planning officer Chisainerwa Chibururu (51) and former provincial chief lands officer Joseph Shoko (55) allegedly charged US$5 000 ‘administrative fee’ for each land developer to get a piece of land for housing development in the Midlands province.
They were arrested yesterday and will appear at Gweru Magistrate Court today.
“It is alleged that sometime in 2008, incarcerated former Midlands provincial governor, Jason Machaya, set up a provincial committee for housing in line with the Government’s National Housing Programme of 2004 to 2008, which was aimed at easing housing shortages in urban areas,” said ZACC spokesperson John Makamure in a statement.
Machaya chaired the committee which was mandated to identify and allocate land to land developers who would have applied for land for urban development.
“Allegations are that the accused persons connived to include in the offer-letters the payment of US$5 000 administrative fee as one of the requirements from each developer who would have been allocated land by the provincial committee,” said Mr Makamure.
“On different occasions, the land developers were allocated land to develop and were made to pay US$5 000 for each allocation made as administration fees, amounts the accused persons could not account for.”
At least six land developers were prejudiced US$45 000 in total in the scam.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter