BALLANTYNE Park residents in Harare have demanded an investigation into a "suspicious" land transfer deal involving the city council and maverick businessman Phillip Chiyangwa. The transfer deal could open a can of worms over various projects and deals that were pushed through Town House before the new council assumed office on July 1 last year, council officials have warned.

Information to hand shows that Chiyangwa, through his Kilima Investments (Pvt) Ltd, swapped a 25-hectare piece of land in Derbyshire on the outskirts of Harare with five smaller pieces of land in the capital.

The five pieces of land are listed as Stand 65 Colne Valley Township of Lot 7A Colne Valley, which covers Ballantyne Park.

Although the Deed of Transfer indicates that "the said piece of land shall be used as a public place only", it is understood Chiyangwa has already moved to develop a 7,5ha piece of prime land into a residential property.

Some of the properties in the deal were registered on May 22 this year, more than a year after the transaction authorised by the commission then running the affairs of Harare.

"We have seen sales representatives from Kilima Investments who are already selling stands on that piece of land, which is supposed to be a public place," said one resident.

The commercial director of Chiyangwa's Native Investments Africa Group, Nigel Munyati, asked to have questions e-mailed to him. He however did not respond to the questions, saying they were "malicious."

Munyati wrote back: "Reference is made to your e-mail enquiry below. Our lawyers have advised that your questions have malice and that you should direct them to the City of Harare. Please note that in this matter our rights are reserved."

On Friday evening Chiyangwa was breathing fire over the enquiry and attempted to stop this reporter from writing the article.

"There is no story. Where did you get my papers from, you have fake papers," fumed Chiyangwa.

"What right do you have to ask me about my business? . . .What power do you have to be asking me about my companies? Go and jump in the river. Never phone me or my companies again. . ."

Among other things, Munyati had been asked to clarify the reasons for swapping more than 25ha for much smaller plots within the same city, and the benefits the deal was likely to give to the city and the people living around the five land properties being swapped.

Copies of the Deed of Transfer show that the transfer was approved by the commission running the City of Harare in December 2007, but the documents were processed this year.

Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda said he does not have any knowledge of the transfer.

"A lot of people from Ballantyne Park have been phoning me over the last two weeks," Masunda said.

"There is no such transaction that was authorised by my council. We need to consult our professional advisors to rectify the situation.

Masunda said the transaction could have been "one of so many things that were pushed through, especially during the period between 30 March and 30 June" last year, pending the swearing in of duly elected councillors.

He said the council "cannot sit back and allow a nullity". Psychology Chiwanga, the city's director of Urban Planning, was not immediately available.