A BITTER land wrangle between Marondera Town Council and Swandev (Pvt) Ltd has opened a can of worms, with the local authority now under fire for taking land allocated to the developer by the government in a swap deal.
By JAIROS SAUNYAMA
Swandev was given the land as part payment of $1,6 million owed to it after the government, through the Local Government ministry, took over the company’s land for the Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle housing programme.
Documents gleaned by this paper show that council was aware that government entered into an agreement with Swandev regarding the land, but was now making an about-turn, claiming the land belongs to the local authority.
This despite some correspondence showing that the land belongs to Marondera Rural District Council, which had agreed to give the land to the private developer, as compensation for its land taken under the government’s Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle programme.
The documents show that the government, through the Public Works Department, in 2005 paid ZW$919m to Swandev for materials supplied during the servicing of the area, with the remainder of the money reportedly to be paid in the form of land.
The land wrangle was ignited after town clerk, Josiah Musuwo issued a notice advising those who purchased stands from Swandev, a company that is owned by suspended Zanu PF councillor, Kennedy Muraicho, to be refunded their moneys from the developer, claiming the land belonged to council.
But according to a letter dated October 21, 2013 and signed by the deputy director of works identified as W Mutambanengwe, and addressed to the provincial chief lands officer, the local authority admitted that the land in question belonged to Marondera Rural District Council.
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“Please be advised that the above cited portion of State land, as it appears on Marondera Combination Master Plan of 1985, falls outside the current municipal boundary although it is within the master plan boundary. As such, it is administered by Marondera District Council in consultation with the municipality of Marondera.
Muraicho was not reachable for comment, but in a letter signed by his company’s secretary dated April 24 and addressed to Local Government ministry principal director, Joseph Mhakayakora and copied to Provincial Affairs minister Ambrose Mutinhiri and Defence minister Sydney Sekaramayi, he was now demanding $1,6 million from the government if Marondera Town Council takes the land.
“May you please be advised that we are in receipt of an application by Swandev (Pvt) Ltd for the development of a piece of land in the Lendy Park area. May you further be advised that there are already some developments on the site,” read the letter.
NewsDay established that a number of civil servants, among them some from the security sector, have been allocated residential stands by Swandev.
