OWNERS of the land on which the new Parliament building has been constructed in Mt Hampden, Harare have filed a US$900 000 lawsuit after government failed to compensate them.
The land belongs to One Way Ministries Church, which has
cited Lands minister Anxious Masuka, Local Government minister July Moyo and
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube as respondents in the case.
The church is demanding US$900 000 that government promised
when it took over the land, which the church used as its prayer centre.
The church says its members have nowhere to gather for
prayers, while government has backtracked on its earlier promise to allocate
the church new land in Glen Forest.
Court papers state that on July 1, 2016, the Lands minister
by notice published in the Government Gazette designated for compulsory
acquisition land measuring 7,91 hectares held by the church under Deed of
Transfer No 3207/2011.
Government wrote to the church on May 6, 2016 saying it
would carry out valuation of the land in order to facilitate compensation.
In November 2017, before compensation was finalised or
paid, the Local Government ministry wrote to the church advising that
construction would commence, and as such the land was supposed to be
surrendered.
During negotiations in October 2017, the Lands ministry
offered to pay US$900 000 for the land, which was signed for on June 2, 2020.
“After noting that despite undertaking to pay, the
defendants had failed to pay, the plaintiff made a formal claim for payment
several times but the defendants have ignored or neglected to pay despite
promising to do so,” the court papers read.
The parties then agreed that compensation value of the said
Lot 20 of Glen Forest of Borrowdale Farm, Goromonzi was US$165 000, and was to
be deducted from US$900 000, and the balance was to be paid to the church.
They agreed that US$165 000 would be paid to the owner of
the Glen Forest land and her account details were supplied.
“Further, the plaintiff was offered as compensation
deductible from the US$900 000, the allocation of Lot 20 Glen Forest,
Borrowdale and has accepted by signing
to receive title or ownership of the said land but same has not been ceded or
transferred despite promises by the defendants,” the court documents read.
This has not been done and the delay in compensating the
Glen Forest land owner has prevented the church from taking occupation of the
land.
The matter is yet to be heard. Newsday
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