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Chombo owns up to 'Garikai' corruption
Gibbs Dube, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
March 19, 2006

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/viewinfo.cfm?linkid=11&id=302&siteid=1

BULAWAYO – Senior government officials and local authorities have forced Local Government Minister Ignatious Chombo to publicly admit that there is widespread corruption in the allocation of "Operation Hlalani Kuhle" houses in Gwanda, Beitbridge and Bulawayo.

In a rare sign of defeat and apparent reference to Press reports of corrupt activities in the housing scheme, Chombo said last Tuesday that houses built under "Operation Hlalani Kuhle" were meant for victims of "Operation Murambatsvina" and not government officials.

The Standard established that Chombo swallowed his pride and publicly admitted that there were irregularities in the allocation of the houses after he was told to reverse the list of beneficiaries by Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi, Matabeleland South Governor Angeline Masuku and the executive mayors of Gwanda and Bulawayo.

According to authoritative sources, Mohadi recently told the Matabeleland South Provincial Development Committee that he would recommend the arrest of all government officials who had benefited from the housing scheme in Beitbridge and Gwanda after he was informed that the new home owners were not victims of "Operation Restore Order".

"Mohadi fumed at the meeting and took some of the beneficiaries to task indicating that most of the houses were corruptly allocated to senior government officials, police and prison officers, relatives of State officials and other unintended recipients," said one of the sources who attended the meeting in Gwanda.

He said Masuku, who was also of the view that corrupt government officials not affected by "Operation Murambatsvina" hijacked the housing scheme, supported the minister.

Another source said that the two were also irked by the fact that most of the beneficiaries were "outsiders" living in State houses but wanted to make quick money by leasing the new houses to local inhabitants.

"This scandal was more than meets the eye because these people manipulated the housing waiting lists provided by local authorities in an effort to grab the houses and rent them out to local people. However, this was thwarted by Minister Mohadi and Governor Masuku who reacted to Press reports that there was something amiss about the allocation of the houses," said the source.

While Masuku could not be reached for comment, Mohadi said Zimbabweans were aware of his stance on corruption. "I have strong views against corruption and I hope by now the issue of irregularities surrounding (Operation) Hlalani Kuhle houses have been sorted out."

"I believe this issue will be handled carefully by the relevant authorities … It should be sorted out amicably," said Mohadi who could not be drawn to comment on his initial threats to recommend the prosecution of unintended government beneficiaries.

"I cannot say a lot about that now but I hope that things will be worked out as per government policies and regulations," he said.

The Bulawayo City Council and Gwanda Municipality also pressured Chombo to ditch the new list of beneficiaries after uncovering irregularities in the allocation of "Operation Hlalani Kuhle" houses in their respective urban centres.

The Bulawayo Mayor, Japhet Ndabeni Ncube, and his Gwanda counterpart, Thandeko Zinti Mkandla, have in the past blasted government officials for allegedly allocating the "Operation Hlalani Kuhle" houses to senior State officials and their relatives, members of the armed forces and ruling party cadres not affected by "Operation Restore Order".

Mkandla said: "We are not going to allow some government officials to hijack programmes aim- ed at the poor and marginalised members of our society. We are the local authority and we have the final say in the allocation of houses as per our housing waiting list."

The Standard revealed rampant corruption in the allocation of "Operation Hlalani Kuhle" houses in Gwanda where senior government officials,members of the uniformed forces, children and relatives of a minister and ruling party activists benefited from the housing scheme in Gwanda.

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