Zimbabwe: Chamisa Ally Dismisses Claims Former Ccc Leader Caused Harare Land Regularisation Scandal

10 October 2024
New Zimbabwe (London)
By Darlington Gatsi

INDEPENDENT Councillor Kudzai Kadzombe has dismissed claims that former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa pushed for the regularisation of unoccupied land in Harare.

Kadzombe along with Chamisa, Denford Ngadziore and Mayor Jacob Mfume are implicated in the ongoing Commission of Inquiry that is probing the operations of the Harare City Council.

The Justice Maphios Cheda-led Commission heard that Harare City Council implemented the regularisation of land at the behest of Chamisa with CCC Councillors rubber stamping the order.

The regularisation of land reportedly disadvantaged aspiring homeowners who are on the City Council's waiting list, leading to the mushrooming of illegal structures.

In a leaked audio that was submitted as evidence at the Commission of Inquiry, councillor Blessing Duma admitted that the council fast-tracked regularisation of stands favouring CCC-affiliated housing schemes.

This is believed to have been used to lure voters to the opposition in last year's elections in which the CCC dominated both in council and parliament in Harare.

Former Harare deputy mayor, Kadzombe dismissed the allegations that Chamisa interfered with the affairs of City Council.

"I can confirm that I do not know of such a discussion because the way we operate in Council is that each Committee has 12 to 20 Councillors and you then debate issues that you are mandated to. I have never witnessed President Chamisa coming to townhouse or any of our caucus meetings," said Kadzombe.

Kadzombe has also been entangled in controversial decisions at the Harare City Council. The former deputy mayor was reportedly involved in awarding a US$300,000 payout to Mathew Marara.

"A decision was made by the Council to set up a negotiating committee that comprised four councillors to negotiate with retired major Marara about the issues of his outstanding salaries.

"If you go back you will see that in 2019 there were quite a number of employees that were suspended from Council and Mr Marara was one of them but he was the only employee that was not paid his salaries in three years.

"There were a lot more benefits that he was entitled to and we negotiated downwards and we ended on a figure that is far less from what is being said in the media," said Kadzombe.

Chamisa is also expected to appear before the Commission of Inquiry.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.

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