One of the supposed beneficiaries of the government-funded Willowvale residential flats in Harare yesterday told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Works and National Housing that the housing scheme had been abused as he was left out of the programme even though he had paid the required deposits.
Nhamo Chikuvanyanga told the David Chimhini (Mutasa North MP)-led committee that although he had paid a deposit of Z$12 million to acquire a flat in 2004, and another deposit of US$10 000 in 2010, he was yet to be allocated a flat.
Chikuvanyanga said he was dismayed by reports that babies and other undeserving people had benefited ahead of him.
During recent investigations by the committee on the irregular allocations of the Willowvale flats, it was discovered beneficiaries who did not meet the requirements, some of them minors and babies, had acquired the flats, while others who had financial clout and multiple property owners in Harare had also benefited after paying the required US$10 000.
“In 2004, I paid a deposit of Z$12 million, of which Z$8 million had been borrowed from my work place where I worked as a clerk and the then Ministry of Local Government and National Housing under minister Ignatius Chombo had promised to complete constructing the flats which cost a total of Z$24 million in 2005,” Chikuvanyanga said.
“My family used to eat vegetables without cooking oil then while trying to raise money for deposit, but the scheme was poorly managed and by 2005 no construction had taken place. In 2010, I paid US$10 000 which was the new deposit for the flats, but even after paying that amount I was not allocated a flat. All the time I visited the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities to find out about the project, I found the paper work was in shambles.”
Chikuvanyanga said those who lost their money during the Zimbabwean dollar era should be compensated.
“We are supposed to pay $40 000 in $300 instalments every month, but we have suffered already and suggest the amount be reduced to compensate for our losses during the Zimbabwean dollar era,” he added.
