Tatenda Chipungudzanye
Chitungwiza and Manyame residents have implored Manyame Rural District Council to conduct an audit on land allocation amid revelation of double allocation as well as missing names in database in the re-planning exercise in Murisa area.
Chitungwiza and Manyame residents allege that some people have been displaced while others no longer have their names in council database.
Council at one time suspended payments, inspections, processing of leases, offer letter and building plans after a lot of irregularities in parcelling of land were brought to management’s attention.
The process affected stands number 7000 to 8000 and after verification one would then have another letter to continue building.
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“We are pleased to advise that the suspension in result of stand number 8017 has been lifted following the verification process,” reads one letter by Manyame Rural District Council CEO Farirai Guta as council tries to normalise the mayhem in Murisa area.
Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Trust Chairman Marvellous Khumalo said there were individuals in council who were re-allocating stands which already have owners which was painting a bad picture to the promising council.
“There are reports that the data base was tempered with after the then town planner Edson Munjanga left for another job in Chipinge.
“Cases of double allocations of stands started to emerge.
“It seems the employees in the planning section took advantage that the previous office bearer had left.
“This has been happening from 2017 to 2019.
“If this issue is not handled properly we will have mayhem in the suburbs we have. We will have unplanned habitats,” said Khumalo.
Khumalo said plans from oustiders were failing to make the grade while the majority of those drawn by council officials would pass.
“This has to be resolved as soon as possible.
“Some officials at council there have companies specialising in plans and they are the once whose plans pass,” said Khumalo.
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Manyame Residents Trust committee member Fainos Chakamwe said more than 200 people were affected in the land allocation exercise while calling for audit of what was happening in allocation of land after Munjanga left council.
“We want council to investigate some people in council who were ejected from Murisa.
“Council had to stop them from continuing the re-planning process because of a lot of queries the were arising,” said Chakamwe.
Manyame CEO Guta said they had zero tolerance to corruption policy and would make law take its course if evidence is bought forward.
“We want to deal with land allocation issues on individual basis. Anyone who has a stand that was allocated to another, then they should come forward and we resolve that,” said Guta.
“We are in the process of bringing sanity to Murisa. And if there is evidence of bad apples within our system then I urged residents to come forward and supply information so that law takes it course,” she added.
– HMETRO