Guruve residents association chair implicated in l...

Guruve residents association chair implicated in land grab and illegal sales

District Development Coordinator also implicated

Philemon Jambaya

Assistant Editor

A bombshell letter sent to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has thrown the Guruve Rural District Council into disarray. The letter, purportedly written on behalf of the CEO by an unidentified source, alleges a web of corruption and misconduct involving senior GRDC officials.

Latios Karembera, the chairperson of the Guruve Residents and Ratepayers Association, finds himself at the center of the first allegation. The letter accuses Karembera's company, DALETI SMEs, of fraudulently acquiring land from GRDC. It claims DALETI SMEs secured the land for a limited number of structures but then proceeded to build more, exceeding the approved limit. These unauthorized structures were then allegedly sold to unsuspecting residents.

The plot thickens when the council attempts to rectify the situation by regularizing the land acquisition process. The letter accuses Karembera of obstructing this process and inciting residents to withhold their dues from the council.

The second allegation targets Mupeta, the District Development Coordinator The letter paints a disturbing picture of Mupeta abusing his authority. It details an incident where Mupeta allegedly misled a commercial farmer Curthbert Muzerengi, into believing he could purchase communal land. Mupeta reportedly strong-armed eight communal farmers into selling their land for a measly US$400 each, with the false promise of a borehole. Thankfully, the council intervened, exposing Mupeta's scheme and advising Muzerengi to follow proper land acquisition procedures.

Mupeta's alleged transgressions don't end there. The letter further accuses him of fabricating a story to cover up his involvement in the land deals. It claims that in July 2023, Mupeta instructed his subordinates to draft a report on the Implementation Matrix, a directive from the former Minister of Local Government. Mupeta reportedly signed the reports, received council fuel to deliver them, but conveniently "forgot" to submit them.

The letter doesn't stop there. It goes on to accuse Mupeta of bullying council officials into reinstating two previously dismissed employees. The report also suggests Mupeta has been intimidating the council chairman, pressuring him to disregard legal advice and cave to his demands.