Garikai Mafirakureva

CHIREDZI – In a shocking report of alleged corruption at Chiredzi Town Council released by Government last week, former chairman, Francis Moyo, allegedly received 71 free residential stands from the local authority with 11 being low density and 60 high density.

His six colleagues in council got 46 residential stands each bringing the total prejudice to the local authority to 393 valued at more than US$1 million. The arrangement was approved by the now deceased town secretary Charles Muchatukwa, says the report.

“The arrangement became breeding ground for sale of stands as councillors became land barons overnight,” reads part of the report.

The report says that there was a drastic change in the councillors’ lifestyle to show that they were enjoying proceeds from the stands.

Normally councillors are given 1 commercial and 1 residential stand each during their tenure which they pay for at a nominal fee.

The report which followed an investigation by a team from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works said Moyo who now aspires to stand as an MP in the 2023 national elections became a land baron overnight.

The report was only released after United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (UCHIRRA) and Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHIRRA) applied to the High Court to push the Minister of Local Government July Moyo to release it.

The investigations established that the illegal allocation of the stands was done in connivance with council management and the stands were allocated to the councillors on the guise that the city fathers were going to distribute them to their ‘constituencies’ and also to thank their campaign teams for their success in the 2013 national elections.

The arrangement was never formal, it was not deliberated in council and at one-time Ward 2 Councillor Jester Muteyaungwa’s son Maxwell was allegedly arrested by Police while selling the stands.

“Chiredzi town councillors in connivance with management issued themselves with 46 stands each; 6 low density and 40 high density while the chairman amassed 71 stands; 11 low density and 60 high density.

“What is even disturbing is that the arrangement was purely informal and was never deliberated in a council meeting,” reads the report.

The other councillors who benefited include Tarusenga Makamba (Ward 3 Zanu PF), Samuel Mashonganyika (Ward 7 Zanu PF), Jester Muteyaunga (Ward 2 Zanu PF), Costen Mombe (Ward 6 Zanu PF) Gibson Hwende (Ward 1 MDC) and Antony Mapfumo (Ward 8 Zanu PF)

Chiredzi Residents Associations’ lawyers are studying the report with a view to taking legal action.