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Court Reporter
The City of Harare’s principal town planner and a town planning technician have appeared in court accused of approving and subdividing a leased stand in Waterfalls without proper documentation.

The principal town planner, Sidney Musere (54), and Gibson Moyo (47) appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Barbara Chimboza.

They are facing criminal abuse of duty charges and were remanded on $100 bail each.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on June 2012 the director of Emancipator (Pvt) Ltd, Mr Julius Musevenzi, got a lease for stand number 429 Malvern Township, Waterfalls, from council.The stand measured 1 580 square metres.

It is alleged that Mr Musevenzi built structures at the stand and sublet a butchery to Mr Darlington Dumba.

The court heard that later a feud over the stand developed between the two businessmen.Mr Dumba approached council and made an application to subdivide 790 square metres of the stand.

It is alleged that Musere and Moyo connived with Samuel Nyabezi, who is yet to be arrested, to unprocedurally subdivide the stand and transfer it into Dumba’s name.

The trio knew that the land belonged to City of Harare, the court heard.

Instead of advising Mr Dumba that the land was under lease, Musere and Moyo subdivided the land and Nyabezi approved the plan without following laid-down procedures.

It is alleged that trio worked on the subdivision without circulating the plans to various City of Harare departments or other entities like State utility bodies such as ZESA Holdings and TelOne as required by law.

Inconsistent with their duties the trio showed favour to Dumba.The offence came to light on May 17, 2016 when the city valuations and estate manager discovered that the land had been subdivided.