Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI-Residents recently send an SOS to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to investigate land corruption involving the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo.
Moyo is being accused of using Full Life Open Arms Africa Investment (FLOAAI) to sell the 750 hectares of land on the remainder of Buffalo Range which was awarded to both Chiredzi Town Council (CTC) and Chiredzi Rural District Council (CRDC) in 2017 for urban expansion.
However, the planning process is already at an advanced stage without prior knowledge to the beneficiary local authorities.
FLOAAI did a feasibility study for the 750 hectares which is jointly owned by both councils after being awarded the land by government because they had run out of expansion land.
Both councils allegedly engaged FLOAAI a few years ago and were hoping to begin servicing the land as a precursor to the sale of the stands for residential, commercial and industrial purposes.
In an interview Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHIRRA) chairperson Jonathan Muusha expressed displeasure towards the administration of the 750 hectares on the remainder of Buffalo Range suggesting the minister needs to be investigated over land corruption.
“As CHIRRA, we are very disappointed and we appeal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and reverse the deal which was engineered during the commission in 2017 and with bogus resolutions. The Minister of Local Government July Moyo should be investigated on the issue of this developer, Mr Madanyaya.
“We will not achieve housing by all and the Upper Middle Income economy vision by 2030 won’t be attainable if this level of corruption is not brought to a halt. Both local authorities should make a rescind resolution and take legal route to stop this madness,” said Muusha.
FLOAAI began selling the remainder Buffalo Range urban expansion land in 2021, where Andrew Chigudu, a Lecturer at University of Zimbabwe and Director of Projects and Planning wrote to Audrey Madzima, the general manager of Enhanced Mortgaging and Housing P/L offering them a sale of 500 undeveloped stands measuring 240 and 300 square meters in a letter dated May 17, 2021.
“Our company, Full Life Open Arms Investments (FLOAAI) Pvt Ltd hereby offer your company Enhanced Mortgaging and Housing (EMH) 500 undeveloped residential stands that measures 240 m2 and 300 m2 from our sub-division layout (SL 1109) approved on 15 March 2021 in accordance with memorandum of Agreement with Chiredzi Town Council and Chiredzi Rural District Council.
“We offer you these 500 undeveloped stands at a price of US$ 2 500 each,” wrote Chigudu.
In response to this letter, EMH’s Madzima wrote a letter to Chiredzi Rural District Council (CRDC) asking for confirmation of the deal between FLOAAI and the two local authorities before it paid $1 250 000.00
“We are kindly requesting for the following information with regards to particular projects being undertaken in Chiredzi. Project status, land ownership details, please note that we have been offered stands in the area with a sub-division layout (SL 1109) which was approved on the March 15, 2021. You may refer to the email attached,” wrote Madzima.
Chiredzi Town Council Acting Chairperson Ropafadzo Makumire who also has experience in urban development highlighted that there is nothing procedurally done as the project is being administered somewhere else not by the two local authorities.
“Procedurally, what is supposed to happen is that the two local authorities administering the land, which is the remainder of Buffalo Range should enter into a joint venture agreement approved through a Statutory Instrument (SI) from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
“After the Statutory Instrument gazette, a joint committee is formed by the two local authorities comprising of councillors from both councils who will elect the chairperson. The committee will be responsible for sending project proposals to the Private Partnership Unit, which will then submit it to cabinet for approval. None of this has happened but it is rumoured that even the feasibility study has been approved.
“So if we had that committee, to date, you could be getting updates from the joint committee but right now there is no information on what is going on the ground, councillors are in darkness, they don’t know what is happening and we are hearing it through rumours that the land is being sold. If you request for a contract document between the two councils you cannot be furnished with such information. To be honest, I have never seen that contract, no one is disclosing that information so the project is not being run by the two councils. It is being run from somewhere else not here in Chiredzi. The officials also don’t know anything, we only hear that the late Muchatukwa did the contractual documents but we have never seen them,” said Makumire.
One of FLOAAI Directors Pastor Godfrey Nelson Madanyaya who hid his identity behind his cellphone said they are currently waiting for the Environment Management Agency’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before the local government moves to officially commission the project.
“Don’t listen to those lies being peddled against FLOAAI, even the minister is not involved in this project. We are currently waiting for the EIA from EMA in order for local government to officially commission the project. You don’t have to write about something that does not benefit your future young man,” said Pastor Madanyaya.
He also added that the two local councillors will be responsible in the sale of the land.
