HARARE councillors from the CCC went on a spree of invading and parcelling out more than 5 000 illegal plots ahead of last year’s harmonised elections, as they had done in previous elections, the Commission of Inquiry into Harare City Council operations since 2017 heard on Monday.
Trust Freddy Suburban Correspondent
Ahead of previous elections, the opposition councillors embarked on similar land grab schemes because they were unsure of their chances of re-election.
At least 349 illegal housing cooperatives were hurriedly regularised according to evidence submitted to the commission council officials and councillors had sought the regularisation of an additional 5 000 stands ahead of the elections, beyond the existing list compiled by council officials and bypassing officials, with councillors seemingly bidding to lure voters with the land.
Harare town clerk Hosiah Chisango admitted before the commission that councillors were exploiting the land regularisation policy for personal gain, adding that land invasions tended to escalate during election years.
Minutes from a joint meeting of the Environmental Management Committee, the Education, Health, Housing and Community Services Committee and and Licensing Committee held on May 29 last year, show that another 24 settlements with 5 066 stands were recommended for regularisation, pending approval from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Mr Thabani Mpofu, who is leading evidence from witnesses appearing before the commission said that the 5 066 stands were not on the list compiled by city officials and the list was coming directly from councillors. Chisango struggled to provide satisfactory explanations on why councillors had suddenly compiled a lengthy list of stands requiring regularisation ahead of the elections, and why his team had not previously identified the stands.
According to the minutes, Councillor Blessing Duma, chairman of the committee and councillor for the ward where Hannah Pay Scheme is located, proposed the regularisation of the scheme a few months before the elections, despite allegations of land invasions.
It also emerged that the council passed a resolution to revoke court orders for demolitions at the Crowborough Paddocks and other areas, amid revelations that councillors colluded with land barons to conduct unauthorised land sales in those areas.
Mr Mpofu said Harare City Council, through its resolutions, was acting as an accessory, thereby perpetuating the crime.Chisango also acknowledged that council was sanitising illegal land invasions through its resolutions, adding that plots of land reserved for churches, schools, clinics, recreational purposes, and wetlands were being converted into residential stands through council resolutions.
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Further, the commission heard that councillors operated a system known as “rotating”, where they intimidated senior council officials who fail to comply with their proposals, warning them that they would be reassigned to a different role.When asked why he was allowing such illegalities to occur under his watch as town clerk, Chisango responded: “This has been resisted by officials, and even in the minutes, you will find councillors raising concerns about non-implementation, as it was our position that those resolutions could not be implemented.”
In an interview, Combined Harare Residents Association director Mr Reuben Akili expressed shock that council was failing to uphold its own resolutions to deal with housing cooperatives, which were passed four years ago.
“It’s unfortunate that we continuously see them engaging these cooperatives, which brings the perception that people running these cooperatives have links within the local authority’s planning department and those responsible for land allocation,” he said.
Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba blasted councillors, describing them as selfish politicians bent on profiteering.
“The ongoing commission of inquiry into the City of Harare is revealing what we have always known that the councillors in the City of Harare are driven by greed and self-interest.
“They are using their positions to access council resources like land.
“They are using their positions to enrich themselves rather than represent and play an oversight role and make the necessary policies for the ultimate benefit of ratepayers,” he said.
