With houses built beneath electricity power lines, some on top of sewer pipes and others on wetlands — putting the future of water sources for Chitungwiza residents on the line — the dormitory town has become a legend of scandals and corruption. BY XOLISANI NCUBE
One probe team after another has been the norm in the dormitory town which has a population of over 400 000 and the potential to be an industrial hub on its own, the town cannot just escape controversy year after year.
From ghost workers, illegal land sales to financial misappropriation, the town has held its place as an epicentre of plunder, unabated corruption and intractable looting of public resources — a feat residents groups point at central government and political parties to be beneficiaries of the act.
From the period Ignatius Chombo was minister of Local government— then under the stewardship of Misheck Shoko, who was booted out on allegations of maladministration and superintending over the steep decline in service delivery in Chitungwiza — to the leadership of suspended mayor, Philip Mutoti — the issue has been the same — decline in service delivery and maladministration.
But for Don Makuvaza, the Chitungwiza Residents Trust programmes officer, the town has been a political battlefield for Zanu PF and MDC-T resulting in service delivery and development being the casualties.
“Since the town is in Harare province and has a potential to be a cash cow for political parties, it has been used as a fighting ground by the political parties. The two main parties want to control the process and in the process it is the people and urban development which is sacrificed,” he said.
When Shoko was removed from office, the government took over the administration of the local authority and things have not changed since then, alleges Jacob Rukweza, a former councillor, who is now a pressure group leader.
After the ouster of Shoko, Chombo appointed a caretaker commission led by Darlington Nota, a Zanu PF functionary. The caretaker council is accused of over-staffing council workforce and most of the workers lacked the requisite qualifications.
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A recent human resource audit report revealed that 800 out of 1 400 workers were unqualified for the posts they held and this included top management who also did not have the zeal to do the work because of their powerful connections.
“Tractors and lorries for collecting garbage have continually broken down because most of them had their tyres stolen and no one bothers to replace the parts or buy diesel for garbage collection in the residential areas,” Rukweza said.
The former councillor said Zanu PF has used management to stifle development in the dormitory town and he was quick to point out at how jailed Godfrey Tanyanyiwa ruined the local authority on Chombo’s watch.
After Tanyanyiwa’s fall, Chombo appointed Fungai Mbetsa to lead, what he termed, the revival of Chitungwiza whose departure was characterised by looting and hefty packages forcing unpaid workers to down tools demanding their dues.
Mbetsa used to receive $2 000 a week for hotel accommodation and more than $16 000 monthly at a time he was also getting a pay from the public service commission for his post — then Manicaland provincial administrator.
He also reportedly received 100 litres of fuel weekly, together with other team members, $375 for entertainment, $300 airtime, $300 lunch and $200 for other necessities. These allowances were nowhere near what government paid its workers or even any blue chip private company.
Rukweza, who was in office during that era, said the town was stripped of its resources and no resuscitation ever happened.
“It was a looting spree, workers were rendered useless, their plight or dedication to duty not appreciated,” he said.
At the same time, councillors, mainly from MDC-T were accused of selling land illegally and pocketing the proceeds for personal use.
The MDC-T party had to fire all the councillors in Chitungwiza on allegations of corruption, but Chombo then, refused to kick them out and in the process some of the councillors become more corrupt and sold all open spaces in the town with impunity said Makuvaza.
“That was politics at play, and it helped Zanu PF get a seat in Chitungwiza come 2013 elections,” he said.
Land barons capitalised on the looting spree by the elected officials, with housing co-operatives such as, Fredrick Mabamba’s United We Stand Multi-Purpose Co-operative, Boniface Manyonganise (Yamurai Disabled Co-operative), one Manhango (Chitungwiza Ruvimbo Housing Cooperative), one Makuchete and Major T Marufu, and Chivhanga of Zanoremba Housing Co-operative selling council land without compunction.
Land barons have wreaked havoc in Chitungwiza since 2010, creating a parallel land authority, which had its own architects, town planners building inspectors and housing officers and Rukweza blamed all this on management which failed to stop the rot as they were accomplices in the plunder and in some cases, being used as conduits by central government officials.
As a result of the illegal allocations by the land barons, several people lost thousands of dollars after being swindled of their hard-earned cash.
Others were rendered homeless when the structures they had built on the illegal sites were demolished by council bulldozers.
A parliamentary committee led by Mutasa South legislator Irene Zindi (Zanu PF) has recommended criminal action against those named in the scam which has also seen all recreational spaces illegally turned into residential sites.
A previous attempt by Chombo — just before he was move to his current portfolio, Home Affairs — to clean up the land issue through the establishment of a probe team which was chaired by then Local Government deputy minister Joel Biggie Matiza, all failed.
Outside corruption and maladministration, Chitungwiza has been suffering the consequences of the cancellation of debts on rates by the government prior to the July 31, 2013 elections and is getting close to nothing to meet their operations.
The now fired town clerk George Makunde and the rest of the councillors today face the same predicament that had bedevilled the local authority before.
Local Government minister, Saviour Kasukuwere believes, this time around, with his Madzudzo Pawadyira-led resuscitation team would leave the town in a better state and said President Robert Mugabe had warned of plunder and loot perpetrated by commissions set up to run the city.
Kasukuwere suspended the Philip Mutoti-led council, which is currently before a tribunal facing graft charges involving more than $7 million.
Makuvaza believes that although corruption was endemic in Chitungwiza, ministers and political parties were feasting on the menace which has grounded service delivery and with elections around the corner, the residents’ welfare will be used as political capital.
“This is blame game of the highest order and as residents we are clear, we know who is causing this untold suffering. If the government is serious with dealing with corruption, it must address it from the top not bottom.
“Kasukuwere must deal decisively with Zanu PF youths who are occupying council land illegally, as well as issues of unqualified workers at council, most of whom are Zanu PF workers. They have threatened to fire workers, but I can tell you, nothing like that will happen,” Makuvaza stated.
“This is just politicking, taking residents for a ride, let the commission fire the undeserving workers, deal with those land barons linked to Zanu PF decisively, as well as sort out the mess at Nyatsime area,” he said.
In his response, Kasukuwere said: “We just have to do it and take the bull by its horns hence we have taken a bold decision to set up a team of experts from government departments to help Pawadyira. Anyone who perpetuates plunder and theft of public funds will be kicked out. The President is keen on seeing normalcy return to Chitungwiza”.
