CHITUNGWIZA Town Council is investigating its senior staffers for participating in allegedly fraudulent activities, including the sale of State land to thousands of unsuspecting home-seekers in the dormitory town.
MOSES MATENGA
Among those under the radar is council urban planning services director Conrad Muchesa after his name last week featured prominently when a ministerial delegation toured Chitungwiza to meet residents whose houses were illegally built.
The delegation was led by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and his Environment, Water and Climate counterpart Saviour Kasukuwere.
It also included Local Government deputy minister Joel Biggie Matiza, who led a probe team last year to investigate illegal land deals in the town, and Small and Medium Enterprises minister Sithembiso Nyoni, among others. Chombo and Kasukuwere ordered Makunde to institute investigations and not to protect anyone.
“We will take appropriate action it terms of what has come out of this. We will go back to the drawing board from where we left,” Makunde said.
“In terms of money, we will institute measures to cause restitution. “There are two institutions that were affected and that’s council and residents.
“On the workers involved, we have indicated we will take appropriate action.”
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Makunde said no one would be protected from the probe. Muchesa’s name featured also during the trial of jailed ex-town clerk Godfrey Tanyanyiwa who rented a house to the town planner for $1 300 a month after buying it using council money.
Tanyanyiwa was found guilty and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for fraud.
Muchesa’s name featured during a meeting between land barons and the Zanu PF leadership in Harare province where it was alleged that the deals were approved by him.
The land barons, led by Fraderick Mabamba, produced stacks of letters, memos and even maps to show that what they did was approved by council, especially by Muchesa, who was also a member of the audit team.
It is alleged some Chitungwiza council managers would illegally issue land to home seekers but come back through the back door to repossess the land.
Muchesa was part of the probe team that investigated illegal land sales in Chitungwiza with residents complaining that he jeopardised the integrity and fairness of this team of professionals.
Muchesa could not be reached for comment since last week.
