BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
THE government has pledged to assist Urban Development Corporation (Udcorp) beneficiaries that paid for residential stands four years ago in Chitungwiza that were not delivered.
The stands in question were in the Seke district. National Housing and Social Amenities minister Daniel Garwe told delegates during a tour last Friday of proposed stands in the Nyatsime area that the government is now prepared to ensure those that were duped after paying money for stands to Udcorp will be given alternative accommodation.
“We are aware that the youths were given land to construct houses through Udcorp and they paid a certain amount for development purposes. However, the money was converted to other uses by fraudsters during that era. As the government, we therefore cannot ignore how the youths were duped,” Garwe said.
“We are now engaging banks and other private companies who will develop this area and ensure that the youths get accommodation. These companies will construct flats for the benefit of a number of people,” he said.
A total of 1 400 youths from Harare and Mashonaland East provinces were allocated a farm in Nyatsime area in 2016 under Udcorp, which was a brainchild of former Local Government minister, Saviour Kasukuwere.
The beneficiaries were made to pay US$200 each for developing the land, but stands were never delivered.
Speaking during the same tour, the Zanu PF Mashonaland East youth league chairman Kelvin Mutsvairo hailed the government for the intervention saying that they guarded the land from possible invasion by land barons.
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“The youths were shown this land and they paid their money for it, but they never got the stands. We had to guard it from possible invasion by land barons and we are happy that the government has remembered us. We have a list of all those who are set to benefit from this housing programme and we pray that the deal will be implemented anytime soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Seke district leadership is accusing officials from the Chitungwiza Municipality of invading land across Nyatsime River and for disregarding the boundaries between the two districts.
Follow Jairos on Twitter @jairossaunyama
