GWERU City Council (GCC) officials allegedly allocated each
other more than one stand against the council policy allowing just one stand
per person.
According to the employment conditions for managers and
councillors, each of them is entitled to buy only one stand but officials went
against this policy and allocated each other more than one stand.
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) said it is
looking into the matter.
According to documents in possession of this publication,
officials in the Housing and Community Services department allegedly allocated
themselves more than a stand each at a time when there is a moratorium on the
selling of stands.
An MDC-Alliance member Mr Murisi Zwizwai also benefited
from the scam and paid a paltry ZW$12 437 for stand number 3042 Randolph Phase
1 which is 5 407m2, seven years after he was offered the stand.
On the market, a stand which is 1 000m2 is going for about
US$10 000 but council sold Mr Zwizwai 5 407m2 for less than US$120.
According to council regulations, after receiving a stand
offer letter, Mr Zwizwai was supposed to have paid a deposit within seven days.
He was supposed to have been given a two-year grace period
to pay the balance failure of which could have resulted in the repossession of
the stand.
Mr Zwizwai only paid for the stand this month.
According to City of Gweru debtors billing document in possession
of the Chronicle, the director of Housing and Community Services Mr
Shingirirayi Tigere got one stand in Randolph Phase 1 and another one in Senga
suburb.
Mr Tigere has since made part payment towards the purchase
of the two stands.
Mr Tigere’s assistant Mrs Unity Jaji also got a stand in
Randolph Phase 1 and another one in Mkoba 21 and has also made part payment
towards the purchase of the two stands.
Another assistant director Mr Manford Gambiza was also
allocated a stand in Mkoba 21 and another in Randolph Phase 1 and has since
made part payment towards the purchase of the two stands.
Housing officer Mr Admire Chigayo also got a stand in
Randolph Phase 1 and the second one in Mkoba 21.
Mr Biggie Ngadze, a senior administration officer was
allocated a stand in Mkoba 21 and another one in Randolph Phase 1 and has since
made part payment towards the purchase of the two stands.
Mr Tigere’s secretary Mrs Emma Manyika was allocated a
stand in Mkoba 21 and another one in Randolph Phase 2. The Chronicle has
documents confirming the beneficiaries’ stand numbers and amounts paid so far
towards the purchase of the stands.
Contacted for comment, Mr Zwizwai said he has been paying
for the stand since 2013.
“I have been paying for the stand in Gweru, that all I can
say,” he said.
Mr Tigere, Mrs Jaji, Mr Gambiza, Mr Ngadze, Mr Chigayo and
Mrs Manyika said they were not allowed to speak to the Press as council had
channels of communication.
Contacted for comment, Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe
accused Mr Tigere and his subordinates of abusing council resources for their
benefit.
He said it was baffling that Mr Tigere and his subordinates
allocated themselves stands against council policy which limits individuals to
just one stand.
Clr Makombe said the action by Mr Tigere is a clear
evidence of rampant abuse of office by management.
He said he has since instructed the internal auditor to
look into the matter and warned heads will soon roll at Town House.
“The director of Housing and Community Services and his
subordinates have allocated themselves more than one stand each against council
policy. Employees in the department of Engineering Services have also done the
same. We can’t have that as it is tantamount to poor corporate governance,”
said Clr Makombe.
He said Mr Tigere and other managers are entitled to one
stand each as part of their conditions of service.
Asked to comment on Mr Zwizwai’s case, Clr Makombe said he
should have responded to the council offer within the stipulated period.
He however, said he was not aware why the stand was not
repossessed given that others who failed to respond to offers within the given
time had their stands repossessed.
“I will need to look into this matter. It’s all
administrative and if we are not alerted by whistle blowers like in this case,
we will be in the dark,” said Clr Makombe.
He said council had stopped selling land because of the
Government’s moratorium on selling of land within local authorities..
“We have investors who want to invest and need land but we
are not selling the land because we are following the circular on the
moratorium by the ministry,” said Clr Makombe.
He said he has since engaged Zacc and the police to assist
council investigate suspected abuse of council resources by council managers.
“We approached Zacc and they said they are coming and it
has been long. We have a situation where management is abusing resources and
the residents will think that it’s the councillors. We are appealing for
assistance from relevant law enforcement agencies to bring order to our
council,” said Clr Makombe.
Zacc spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure said they are
making a follow up. Chronicle
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