THE net is closing in on land barons with those involved in the illegal parcelling out of land reserved for the urban renewal project in Harare’s Mbare suburb having been arrested.
A contractor engaged to set up vending structures on land
reserved for the urban renewal project in Mbare is counting his loses after
losing US$150 000 in the botched land deal.
Investigations carried out by ZBC News indicate that the
invasion of the space, has landed two Harare men, Leeroy Muchemwa of Public Eye
Hygiene and Hillary Mukaratirwa of Plan Infrastructure Development in the dock
on corruption charges.
Mukaratirwa is the project manager of Plan Infrastructure
Development, which signed a memorandum of understanding with the Harare City
Council to undertake government projects under the urban renewal project, but
he illegally leased out the land to Musemwa who then engaged a contractor.
The development was confirmed by Harare Metropolitan
Secretary for Provincial Affairs, Mr Tafadzwa Muguti amid allegations that
US$50 000 exchanged hands.
“We have noticed that land at Mbare urban renewal project
had been invaded. Since then, investigations have been done and several arrest
have been made. Some people are now in remand. The developer was misled. We have
noticed that there are 20 people who benefited financially through corruption
or bribes. The Mbare renewal urban project was commissioned by the President
and we are going to build residential complexes in Mbare. It’s not different
from the Sakubva Urban Renewal Project. It doesn’t matter who you are, no one
is above the law and more arrests will be done,” Muguti said.
Elsewhere in Chitungwiza, investigations are underway on
the alleged illegal issuance of residential and commercial stands by council officials.
Chitungwiza Housing Director, Mr Alex Mukwewa allegedly
connived with some land barons to forge letters with council date stamps to
fraudulently parcel out land in areas such as Zengeza, Nyatsime and St Mary’s.
zbc
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