CHITUNGWIZA residents yesterday called for action to be taken against people that were involved in illegally parcelling out residential stands in the city.
BY STAFF REPORTER
Government has said results of an audit report probing illegal land allocations in Chitungwiza are likely to be released today.
Local Government deputy minister Biggie Joel Matiza yesterday said he was still being apprised of the findings. “On that issue, we are still being briefed, you can check tomorrow (today) morning,” said Matiza. However, residents said they were hopeful the probe team would come up with recommendations that ensured Chitungwiza has a clear housing policy that plugs loopholes. “In response to the growing urban population, the government must allocate adequate land to local authorities for residential development purposes and urgently resolve the Nyatsime housing project,” said Chitungwiza Residents’ Trust.
“The country’s electoral laws must be realigned so as to allow the deterrent punishment of politicians who use land and other freebies as instruments of vote-buying. Residential stands must be sold as per the provisions of the housing policy on ‘first come-first served basis rather than giving unfair preference to those with fat pockets.”
The recommendations by residents come at a time Zanu PF- aligned land barons and some former MDC-T councillors were under the spotlight for their involvement in illicit land deals.
Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo has threatened to be tough on them if the probe team recommended tough action.
