Heads will roll over Harare land scams, vows Mugut...

Heads will roll over Harare land scams, vows Muguti

Zim Now Writer

Harare Metropolitan Province Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Tafadzwa Muguti said that government will deal decisively with Harare City Council officials corruptly acquiring land and selling it to line their pockets.

Muguti was responding to a tweet by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana, alleging that Citizens Coalition for Change councillors, who dominate the local authority, bought land at 10 cents ($0.10) per square metre for an Industrial stand in Glaudina.

Muguti bemoaned corruption at the local authority saying graft had reached “disgusting levels.” He said:

“We have been witnessing massive land sales even in wetlands. When I engaged the Mayor (Jacob Mafume) he also expressed concern.

“We will get to the bottom of this and find out who did what and when. I can promise that we will deal decisively with all those who cut corners to enrich themselves.

“We will not leave any stone unturned as we seek the truth. The level of corruption in the [Harare City Council] has reached exhaustion and disgusting levels.”

Muguti added that the land, including wetlands, is easily sold off with no change of use.

“Heads will roll, that I can promise,” Muguti vowed.

Mangwana’s post had said: “Imagine someone buying land at 10 cents ($0.10) per square metre for an Industrial stand in Glaudina! This made them pay a paltry $550 for 5474 square meters. Grand theft. And somebody tries to defend this because these Councillors are from their party.”

This is not the first time that councillors have been slammed for using their positions to get land which they sold off at exorbitant prices to the public.

The late Movement for Democratic Change president Morgan Tsvangirai in 2010 fired 24 councillors in Chitungwiza over corruption involving residential stands.