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MDC-T, Zanu PF councillors clash over stand

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MDC-T Harare councillors have clashed with their Zanu PF counterparts over the allocation of a huge piece of commercial land to the ruling party’s MP for Harare South MP, Shadreck Mashayamombe.

MDC-T Harare councillors have clashed with their Zanu PF counterparts over the allocation of a huge piece of commercial land to the ruling party’s MP for Harare South MP, Shadreck Mashayamombe.

BY MOSES MATENGA

Mashayamombe, who is also the party’s political commissar in Harare, said he followed procedure in his application only to be blocked by MDC-T councillors who felt the land was too big for commercial purposes.

The matter has since been taken back to committee stages after MDC-T councillor, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi, objected to the allocation arguing the land was too big.

Zanu PF councillors said the decision to block the allocation of land to Mashayamombe was partisan and meant to frustrate the party’s ZimAsset programme.

Mashayamombe applied for a lease of Stand 22 of Tariro Township, measuring nearly 4 500m², which council’s Finance Committee approved. When all was set for a full council meeting to endorse the deal, Kufahakutizwi questioned why Mashayamombe was getting a huge stand for commercial purposes. Zanu PF councillor Musatye Gwasira protested saying MDC-T councillors were being unfair.

“Don’t look at the name of the person but what the land is going to be used for,” Gwasira said.

Reads part of the committee resolutions: “That the lessee shall be given the option to purchase the stand on condition that the principal commercial buildings are erected on the stand within the initial five-year lease period (and) that subject to approval of recommendation (1) above the lessee shall meet the costs of surveying, road construction and providing sewer and water reticulation and advertising the lease of the stand.”

Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni suggested that the issue be taken back to committee.

Mashayamombe yesterday said what transpired at Town House confirmed fears that MDC-T councillors were giving out land on partisan basis. “Everyone knows that if you are a prominent Zanu PF official in Harare, you can’t get land from council. You apply for land and its size depends on the job you want to do there,” Mashayamombe said.

“If they cut the size of the land, it means I can’t do the job. As a human being and a citizen of this country, I must benefit and I applied legally for this land. We will take the issue to (Local Government) minister Ignatius Chombo; we don’t want partisan distribution of land.”

Budiriro councillor Panganai Charumbira said that council should speed up processes of giving out land as delays would fuel invasions.