The 15 000 legitimate stand owners in Nyatsime,
Chitungwiza, should have title confirmed, while illegal occupants settled by
land barons should be evicted, the Commission of Inquiry into the sale of State
land has said.
Sixteen politicians and cooperative executives identified
as land barons, the commission said, should be prosecuted.
The Commission of Inquiry chaired by Justice Tendai Uchena
included the new housing area combining Braemer Farm and Lot 2 of Longlands
Farm, popularly known as Nyatsime, in its investigations.
It found double allocations that resulted in many of the 15
000 people who legitimately bought their plots being elbowed out by invaders
who do not have proper documentation.
Most of the invaders paid land barons between US$5 and
US$500 before occupying the land which had already been allocated to the 15
000, who had been officially charged an average of US$2 700 by Chitungwiza Town
Council and paid in full.
The commission said council should regularise Nyatsime
suburb and recommended the investigation and prosecution of 16 cooperative
executives and politicians for criminal offences.
“All land barons must be investigated and prosecuted for
illegally parcelling out State land in Braemer and Lot 2 of Longlands farms,”
read part of the recommendations.
“Chitungwiza Municipality should ensure that invaded
institutional and commercial stands are reclaimed. It should ensure eviction of
all illegal occupants.”
The commission recommended that an audit be done to
establish the status of all people in occupation of the land in question. It
listed those who need to be investigated.
Six A2 farmers, who were allocated farms under the Land
Reform Programme, are accused of subdividing their farms and selling stands to
home-seekers.
They are Mrs Jacqueline Takure, Mr Nelson Mahachi, Mr
Emmanuel Makaripe, Mr Gilbert Gozha, Ms Laina Chikodzi and Mr Langton Chigwaza.
Three members of Yemurai Disabled Cooperative, Mr Joseph
January, Mr Boniface Manyonganise and Mr Alfred Maliana, should be investigated
for allegedly selling a stand to Moonrise School with the assistance of Ms
Florence Shumba and Mr Edmore Padzinza, who are not members of the cooperative.
Mr Christian Magonya and Mr Give Petros, according to the
report, should be investigated for selling stands in the Damview area.
Mr Brighton Gombiro and Mr Eddias Musharu allegedly sold
State land to a number of people in the
Damview area, and sold stands around the Tuckshop area and
at Kimkote Farm. Mr Masimbi Masimbi stands accused of illegally selling State
land at Braemer Farm and illegally collecting money from residents, which was
later abused.
Braemer Farm and Lot 2 of Longlands were acquired and
gazetted for rural resettlement in 2004. Prior to the acquisition, Braemer was owned
by Dunottar Farm Pvt Ltd, while Longlands was owned by Longlands Pvt Ltd.
On May 30, 2013, the Ministry of Lands and Rural
Resettlement handed over the land to the Ministry of Local Government for urban
settlement.
Chitungwiza Municipality then subdivided the land and came
up with 11 000 stands.
The local authority sold land to 15 000 people, meaning
that stand sizes were reduced to accommodate the excess 4 000 people. Herald
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