LOCAL Government minister Ignatius Chombo is reportedly implicated in yet more suspicious land deals in which he is accused of having arm-twisted Harare City Council to transfer vast tracts of land in Harare’s affluent northern suburbs into his name, NewsDay has learnt.
STAFF REPORTER
Although Chombo was not answering his mobile phone for the past three weeks, documents at hand showed that Chombo clandestinely pressed council to parcel out 19,3 723 hectares to his Harvest Net Enterprises firm in Borrowdale and 6,3 hectares in Glen Lorne to his name.
Chombo is accused of having swapped an unidentified piece of State land to induce council to transfer Lot K of Nthaba, Glen Lorne, which he was leasing into his name.
When he launched his bid to register the property into his name, the late Town Clerk Nomutsa Chideya wrote to the ministry on June 26 2006: “The facts I have gathered so far indicate that your office gave Dr Chombo a lease on subdivision K of Nthaba of Glen Lorne, which belongs to council. No payment was ever made in respect of that stand by yourselves. In view of this, kindly consider the following proposals, so that the transfer to Dr Chombo will be expedited.
“. . . that (1) The State offers to pay for the land so that an Agreement of Sale would be entered into with Dr Chombo . . . (2) That the State considers a land swap where council will be offered land of similar size in a low density area.”
On December 12, 2006 a ministry official one L Chimba replied to Chideya agreeing to a swop deal in favour of Chombo through letter ref: LF/114/131 “The ministry is agreeable to your suggestion for a land swap where Council will be offered land similar size in a low density area. The land in question has been developed.”
Hardly three months after council had agreed to transfer the land, Chombo sold the property to Alois Ndaziva Chimeri for Z$250 million on September 5, 2003. He also repeatedly tried to transfer the property into Chimeri’s name, but lawyers raised a conflict of interest case as the first condition of title in the Deed of Transfer indicated that the property was reserved as a public place and no other purpose.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Only the minister could delete that condition to ensure transfer, complicating the matter because Chombo as responsible minister was the transferee. The property was finally transferred sometime in June 2011, according to records.
Following concerns by council over the matter, Chombo reportedly claimed that he had bought the property on January 1, 1997, yet council records showed that he was leasing the property for Z$6 301 per year and by the time he tried to sell it, he had not paid even a cent towards it, Chideya said.
Council offices are normally closed on New Year’s day.
According to another letter on December 13, 2006 addressed to Town Clerk Tendai Mahachi, Chombo also asked council for Stand number 61 in Helensvale, Borrowdale for a cluster housing residential project.
In the letter, he signed off as “Dr IMC Chombo (MP) for Harvest Net Enterprises (Private) Limited” the minister wrote: “In line with infrastructural development, Harvest-Net Enterprises writes to apply for stand number 61 Glen Lorne. The stand measures 19,3723 hectares in size, which the company wishes to acquire for development of cluster houses. Certainly this move would contribute immensely to the development of our city.
“Attached herewith is a certificate of incorporation for Harvest-Net Enterprises (Private) Limited. Looking forward to your assistance.”
The letter was stamped by the City’s Valuation and Estate Division boss Ebben Francisco, who was fired recently for alleged corruption. Chombo’s firm reportedly bought stand 61 Helensvale on March 28, 2008 for Z$2 324.
He was also accused of nepotism at Town House where it emerged that Council’s engineering services director Philip Pfukwa is married to Irene Chombo, the last born child in the minister’s family.
Investigations showed that Chombo has also seconded one Fortune Mutete to various probe teams around the country yet Mutete is married to Jane Chombo, the third born in the minister’s family.
Mutete was appointed into the investigations team that led to the firing of MDC-T Mutare mayor Brian James and Gwanda mayor Lionel DeNecker.
Chombo’s move has put into question the credibility of the outcomes by the probe teams.
“There is also one Fortune Mutete, a Harare banker who is always appointed to probe teams by Chombo. He was in the Gwanda team; he was also in the Mutare probe team and you can tell there was no way we could expect any judgement different from what Chombo wanted — to expel the mayors using his relatives,” sources added.
During his much-publicised divorce with his wife of over 20 years, Marian, it was disclosed Chombo owned dozens of properties across the country.
