By Dorcas Rumano

The MDC-led Harare City Council (HCC) is embroiled in underhand dealings of illicitly selling council land to desperate land seekers with the intention of fundraising for the party, Harare Post can exclusively reveal.

In an interview with this publication, one Harare resident, Clever Kamusasa (not his real name) expressed displeasure over the way city council is illegally selling and allocating commercial stands to business people seeking land.

Kamusasa who works for Post Properties in Borrowdale, said that their organisation wrote to HCC inquiring about a piece of land at an open space (owned by city council) near the Sam Levy’s Village in February 2018 which they intended to use for the purposes of setting up a USD55million shopping mall. He said the then Harare Mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni was supportive of their project proposal.

“Early this year, we wrote a follow up letter to the current Harare Mayor, Herbert Gomba and subsequently held a meeting with him over the land issue, and was advised that the land was sold to an unnamed Chinese businessman. The open space is currently being used by vendors selling art ware which includes baskets,” said Kamusasa.

Kamusasa highlighted that there are a number of investors who approached Post Properties expressing interest in the shopping mall project on the basis that Post Properties would secure the land.

“Given Manyenyeni’s assurance that he was a generally pro-business civic leader, we had already begun canvassing for would be tenants and the response was terrific. Some of the companies were willing to ink tenancy contracts like right now given the prime location of the land. We are really disappointed,” Kamusasa said.

The City Council is also being castigated by citizens for selling a piece of land which is located along Sam Nujoma Street, opposite the South African Embassy, to an unidentified company. The piece of land which is more of a recreational area with plenty of trees has already been fenced off.

One resident, Allan Dube said what HCC did was illegal as the land in question was used by many citizens as a resting place.

“This party talks a lot about the rule of law but they are failing to uphold mere city by-laws. When did they advertise in the media their intention to sell the land? Where are their records indicating that no one objected to the sale?” fumed Dube.

Dube said, “HCC officials are just corrupt and after money. Imagine, they have sold that land, which most of us view as a recreational area. I used to come here and relax especially when it’s hot, considering that there are those tall trees which provide the coolest shade.”

Citizens and companies seeking for residential and industrial stands at HCC were also being allocated land on wet lands. Other pieces of land which have been irregularly sold include the land which is located near the Business Hub (formerly Showground) that is used for parking by show goers and parishioners of churches that rent the nearby City Sports Centre auditorium.

Meanwhile, HCC is being condemned by motorists for increasing wheel-clamping and tow-away fines.  Wheel clamping fines for light motor vehicles have been increased from $57 to $500 while the penalty for tow-away services have been set at $700 up from $60, with effect from 1 August 2019.

Sources say the increase in fines was meant to source money for the broke opposition party that has failed to pay workers for some months.

During a recent meeting with councilors, MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa directed the city fathers to award all the council tenders to MDC regular standing members. He also directed them that all the councils must have 10% ward retention. Sources say the money is meant to oil the penniless party.

Chamisa has been imposing mayors in urban councils to make sure that the posts are occupied by people whom he will manipulate.   He was recently dragged in a City of Harare Council land scam together with his shadow minister of Local Government, Clifford Hlatywayo, who is accused of demanding land from MDC Councilors in the name of their political party.

A Trust, Smartprides, reportedly owned by Chamisa, was allocated 49 000 square meters of land in Harare and is a front entity which the pair is using to grab land in the capital city under the pretext of building a conference center for that party.