HUNDREDS of civil servants have accused Information deputy
minister Energy Mutodi’s housing company of duping them of their hard-earned
money in a botched housing scheme at Lower Rangemore in Bulawayo.
Mutodi is the owner of Zim Trust Housing Finance that
launched the project in 2008 for government workers, mainly teachers, but
failed to deliver the stands after collecting money from the desperate home
seekers.
The civil servants, most of them teachers, stormed Southern
Eye offices in Bulawayo on Friday, accusing Zim Trust Housing Finance, which
also trades as National Housing Delivery Trust, for failing to allocate them
stands even though they had finished paying for them.
“We engaged this company in 2008, and we were made to
contribute $100 towards purchasing of stands measuring 200 square metres, but
until today, we have not been allocated our stands, regardless of the fact that
we have finished paying for them,” one civil servant said.
“They had initially told us that if you contribute $1 200,
they will allocate you a stand and then you pay the balance over two years, but
that never happened. Their stands cost $3 400,” another civil servant said.
Civil servants demanded their stands and accused Mutodi’s
company of being dishonest.
“We want our stands like now. The ministry responsible for
this should look into the issue and help us,” said one of the angry government
workers.
Contacted for comment, project manager Neganda Tawonga said
civil servants would get their stands as per agreement, only that the company
had challenges with subdivision permits which they were supposed to get from
the provincial physical planning office.
“We appeal to our clients to bear with us, the issue has
been rectified. However, the majority of them (civil servants) have not
finished paying,” he said.
He said as soon as they get the permit from the
Environmental Management Agency, they will start allocating the stands.
According to a certificate of completion of payment for one
civil servant seen by Southern Eye, the directors of the trust are Alma-Louise
Gordon, B Chikono, B Chifamba, while Mutodi, K Bhotsha and OZ Gumbo are listed
as executives.
Several efforts to get a comment from Mutodi were fruitless
as his phone went unanswered. Newsday
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