City director Nhekairo exposes colleagues in Greystone Park land grab, hides under the guise of ‘perks’

Harare – TOP Harare City council directors have been allocating themselves large stands in the leafy Greystone Park suburb while hundreds of thousands of residents on housing waiting list fail to get stands to build houses, the commission of inquiry into the running of the capital heard this week.

Express Mail Zim can report that Edmore Nhekairo, the Director of Housing and Community Services told the commission of inquiry into the running of Harare City Council that council directors and senior management get the stands ahead of residents as this is part of their perks.

“If you are in Grade 4 to Grade 1 you get a stand, a residential stand. For those in Grade 4 and Grade 1 they pay 33 percent value of the stand,” Nhekairo said.

Nhekairo was quizzed to give details of the allocations he made to the commission of inquiry that was appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and is led by retired Justice Maphios Cheda.

Nhekairo said he allocated Director of Works Zvenyika Chawatama a stand measuring 9321 square metres in Greystone Park suburb. The stand was valued at $146 000 and Chawatama paid $55 430.

Nhekairo was allocated 9000 square metres by the Town Clerk in Greystone Park and paid US$54 000.

Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango was allocated was allocated a stand in Greystone Park paying about $50 000 a stand which is about a hectare.

Nhekairo said Chawatama and some land buyers bought the land from council using Zimbabwe dollars at the prevailing rate.

The move the commission heard prejudiced council of revenue.

Nhekairo said the Mayor of Harare, Jacob Mafume has been offered a stand in Mt Pleasant along Snipe road. The stand is over 2000 square metres but has not been valued as yet.

“For the Mayor it is part of his condition of service,” Nhekairo said.

The acting director of finance, Godfrey Kusangaya was offered a 1500 square metres stand in Eastlea valued at US$37 000. He paid US $15 000 after city charged him 33 percent of the value of the stand.

Nhekairo said Kusangaya was allocated the Eastlea stand when he was still finance manager at Harare Water.

Kusangaya can still get another stand as director of finance as it is part of his condition of service.

Nhekairo could not give exact details on which of the officials paid in local currency.

Nhekairo was questioned by Thabani Mpofu the evidence leader at the commission of inquiry of why the city directors were parceling themselves land in the prime suburb and not in high density areas.

“That is where the stands were available,” Nhekairo said.

However, Nhekairo admitted that city council directors and councillors were to blame for running down the city management.

“There are a number of errors that have to be corrected. We have made errors,” Nhekairo said.

Nhekairo agreed with Mpofu’s assertion that city directors and land barons who bought prime and commercial land from council with local currency was “unethical and unlawful.”

The commission of inquiry heard that land barons, senior city council managers, councillors and their acquaintances are major beneficiaries of buying land from council at most times cheap buying using the local currency.

Nhekairo said hundreds of thousands of residents remain on the waiting list and could not explain why the council does not follow the first come first served basis to allocate stands.

“The non-availability of a computerized waiting list has been a major problem,” Nhekairo said.

He added that the waiting list remain on paper but failed to explain why people on the first pages of the waiting list have not been allocated stands despite being on the roll for decades for some.

The commission of inquiry heard councillors pay 60 person of the value of the land they are allocated while senior city managers pay 33 percent of the land value.

Junior council employees in
Grades 16 to Grade 5 employees pay 50 percent of price of a stand, Nhekairo said.