by Favour Matenga
The City of Harare is involved in another illegal land deal under which it intends to parcel out a piece of land adjacent to the Old Hararians Sports Club (OH) which is located at the corner of Bishop Gaul Avenue and Drummond Chaplin Street in Milton Park, Harare.
This was exposed by a concerned resident, Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi in an objection that he posted on his Facebook page, last weekend.
According to the copy of the diagram of the contested area on Mutisi’s post, a developer, whose name is yet to be established, plans to set up a crèche, medical centre, marketplace, active recreational space and a service station.
“It has been brought to my attention that the local authority is parcelling out the piece of land that is run by OH for some funny illegal development. This is an institution that was created in 1900, its role was to be an after “school” facility for those students who would have left school and would continue their sports activities at the club,” explained Mutisi.
The former Prince Edward School student spelt out the value of the facility to the local sports community.
“As a community, this facility is where we go for sporting activities and I am hereby objecting to the changes that are being proposed. OH has a lease agreement that runs from September 2016 to September 2044 and according to the Urban and Council Act, seizure and change of an institution that is under lease is illegal,” he posted.
Mutisi expressed concern over how the City of Harare is selling off recreational facilities such as golf clubs without consulting communities.
“The City of Harare has done the same to Sherwood Golf Club (in Mabelreign), Mount Pleasant Golf Club, (and) Highlands. As a resident, a member of OH and a former Prince Edward School student, I will not allow this kind of criminality to happen in my community. I am calling on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), President of Zimbabwe, the Local Government, Members of Parliament, councillors, residents, current and Prince Edward Old boys and members of OH to immediately stop this illegal seizure from happening to OH,” Mutisi posted.
The resident copied his objection to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, ZACC, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Warren Park Constituency legislator, other residents, OH members and Prince Edward School.
This incident exposes the MDC-dominated City of Harare’s shady land deals which have seen it parcelling out most vacant pieces of land with part of the proceeds being reportedly channelled to the MDC’s Harvest House headquarters. The local authority has already sold off the piece of land between Sam Nujoma Street extension and the Royal Golf Course despite protestations from residents and other stakeholders. In Gweru, the City of Gweru, which is also dominated by the MDC, attempted to sell the Gweru Sports Club land but was met with spirited resistance from that city’s residents.
