BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
MANYAME Rural District Council (RDC) home-seekers have expressed dismay over the local authority’s failure to sort out the mess that was created by the late land baron Frederick Mabamba and corrupt village heads.
Some of the villagers have spent six years on the council housing waiting list without being allocated the residential stands they purchased.
The late Mabamba used to operate the United We Stand Co-operative, and he sold pieces of land around Murisa Business Centre, to desperate home-seekers under Chitungwiza Municipality.
The land was later to be placed under Manyame RDC.
The affected areas which used to be villages include Murisa, Chitsvatsva, Kuora, Zin’anga and Kaseke.
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After the mess created by land barons, Manyame RDC was ordered to create a site plan which would include schools and clinics in the affected areas.
This meant that some people allocated land by Mabamba’s housing co-operative would be relocated.
Since 2015 when Manyame took over control of the area, there has not been relocation of the affected people.
Despite paying a penalty fee of US$1 000 each to the RDC, many homeseekers are yet to be shown their real stands.
“We are not happy. Five years are gone and we are still on waiting mode. Since 2015, I have been quiet, but I can’t be silent anymore. Some completed their houses over the years,” said one of the affected home-seekers.
Another victim said: “We have been waiting for too long. We are tired of lies. Sadly, the council team does not show up whenever they promise to come and allocate the stands. Imagine the frustration. If council is not serious, they must not invite us to come and view non-existent stands.”
Ward 8 councillor Tichaona Munhunepi (MDC Alliance) told NewsDay that the relocation exercise was stalled by unavailability of open spaces.
“This area is being reorganised. Some people were allocated stands at places that are supposed to be for schools and clinics. This was observed during designing of a site plan. What is now stalling the relocation exercise is identification of open spaces,” he said.
“We have few surveyors and at times, they are allocated other jobs to do. This then stalls the whole process. The other reason for the delays is that some people failed to pay penalty fees on time.”
Munhunepi said all those that were allocated stands where there are supposed to be roads, schools and clinics should get alternative land.
He said vetting would be done to find out if the affected persons had paid for the land before re-allocating them new stands.
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