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Chitungwiza council ordered to give stands to Zanu PF
Kumbirai Mafunda, The Standard
February 20, 2005

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/read.php?st_id=1773

CHITUNGWIZA - THE government has ordered Chitungwiza Municipality to surrender more that 1 000 housing stands to Christopher Chigumba, the Zanu PF candidate for Zengeza, ahead of next month's crucial general elections, The Standard can reveal.

Chigumba, who will square up with Goodrich Chimbaira of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has already set up a housing scheme, Zanoremba Housing Co-operative, where he is allocating stands to supporters of the ruling party.

The move has been interpretated as a vote buying ploy by Zanu PF ahead of the 31 March elections. In a letter dated 27 January 2005 to Chitungwiza executive mayor Misheck Shoko, Harare Resident Minister, Witness Mangwende, ordered the council to allow Chigumba's cooperative to construct houses on council land.

Mangwende said council should exempt the Zanu PF-aligned cooperative from submitting their plans for approval by the council.

The Standard understands that the council had already allocated the land that Zanu PF wants to other prospective homeowners."If the cooperative utilise land which had been planned or sold to individual developers by the Municipality, that land should be replaced by another," wrote Mangwende in a letter a copy of which is in the possession of The Standard.

Chitungwiza Municipality as the local authority had allocated and developed 1 000 residential stands at Seke South, Unit L to deserving residents of Chitungwiza. The development was part of council's planned reduction of its deficit through charging $17,5 million a stand.

"This development is causing confusion and disorder in the Town and is creating serious problems for the future," wrote Conrad Mutubuki, the former acting Town Clerk in a letter to the Provincial Administrator.

Sources said the development has created confusion in Chitungwiza as Chigumba's cooperative continues to build houses over sewer and water reticulation pipes.

The prospective homeowners, mainly Zanu PF sympathisers and supporters have set up camp at the site and are paying $200 000 in monthly instalments for the small stands.

Sources said to access the stands one has to prove his allegiance to the ruling party by producing the ruling party's membership card.

Council's efforts to demolish the structures have been resisted by Mangwende's office.

Harare Metropolitan Province Administrator, identified as G Tanyanyiwa ordered the council to reverse its decision to knock down the structures.

"We have noted with concern that your council has ordered the demolition of housing structures which are being developed by Housing Cooperatives under the guidance and leadership of the Hounourable MP Comrade Chigumba," wrote Tanyanyiwa in a letter to the Chitungwiza Town Clerk. "This is quite unacceptable."

Shoko said council attorneys were last week considering approaching the courts over Chigumba's project.

Chitungwiza's residents said Chigumba's project was a poll sweetener meant to sway the electorate ahead of the crucial general elections. Chigumba, who was elected into parliament after trouncing the MDC's James Makore in a by-election last March, lured voters by providing free medical services in the constituency.

But soon after the by-election the clinic was turned into a campaign office.

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