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The City of Harare council has lost more than a million United States Dollars in a land scandal that involved two students on attachment and top officials, TechMag TV can exclusively reveal.
By Tongai Mwenje
This was revealed in a 33 paged investigation outcome document dated 2 July 2020 in possession of TechMag TV.
Following some information by a whistle blower in connection with illicit land deals, a team of investigation from Harare Metropolitan Police was set up to find out the exact nature of the deals.
The report unearthed massive illegal sale of City of Harare residential stands or land between 2015-2019 in Kuwadzana township.
According to the document in our possession, the whistleblower reported that there was rampant illegal sale of council land involving Acting Human capital Director Mathew Marara and the principal Housing officer Edgar Dzehonye ( who have since been arrested).
The residential stands in question were sold through junior council employees, student attachees, registered and non registered real estate agents and other freelance agents.
The two former council students on attachment are Masimbaashe Nyemba (still at large) and Armstrong Sandisi.
The team comprised of five Investigators came out with damning evidence which prejudiced the city council of millions of United States Dollars.
” The investigation proved beyond reasonable doubt that there was rampant and massive illegal allocation and sale of council land in Kuwadzana township between 2015-2019,” part of the report reads.
One hundred and fifty two (152) stands were identified as sold illegally involving an organised cartel of 17 council employees ( names supplied).
The stands valued at USD$1 201 779.50 were sold for amounts ranging between USD$7000 and USD$12 000 each.
” Tapiwa Gona, then an employee of the department of works, was the main actor tasked by Acting Director Mathew Marara and the principal Housing officer, Edgar Dzehonye to sell the stands in question. A former student attachee with the City of Harare, Masimbaashe Nyemba was also used to receive money on behalf of the principals of the cartel. Kennedy Shongorisho of Northway real estate and three fraudsters notorious for illegally selling council and and state land namely Themba Mutsena, Sarudzai Chomunorwa and Tabeth Simango were used on various occasions to illegally dispose the council stands in question,” the document further revealed.
In a cover up gesture to satinise their fraudulent activities, council systems and policies were manipulated by creating a waiting list, layout plans, allocation letters, agreements of sale and pay schemes.
Further Investigations proved serious cases that the investigating team could not handle.
” We established that there are several serious cases outside our jurisdiction which require further investigations and criminal prosecution by relevant bodies and as such the matter was reported at ZRP CCD DR 49/09/19 and court proceedings have already begun CRB 1208-10/20. Three council employees and 1 former council employee are already on remand.”
Two other employees Timothy Majena HM 400459 and Bernard Mukuna HM 529540 were nabbed for being complicit in alerting Masimbaashe Nyemba (former student attachee) of the impending course of action to bring him to book to account for his action. Nyemba remains at large.
Meanwhile, the land scam has also dragged the mayor of Harare Herbert Gomba before courts.
He landed in the dock on allegations involving land scams and abuse of office as a public officer.
Gomba was on Friday denied bail by a senior Regional magistrate Bianca Makwande.
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