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Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Former Chitungwiza mayor Alderman Philimon Chipiyo was on Monday arrested for allegedly selling a residential stand which belonged to another home seeker. The former mayor is alleged to have tried to annul the first buyer’s ownership on the basis that he had failed to meet some council requirements.

Police sources however said the owner had title deeds to the stand which is located in Unit G, Chitungwiza hence the sale could not be
reversed.

The stand is valued at US$6 000. Chipiyo and his lawyer Mr Maxwell Mavhunga of Mavhunga and Associates today appeared at the Chitungwiza magistrate court but the matter could not be heard after prosecutors allegedly ordered police to conduct further investigations.

“He was supposed to appear in court today but prosecutors felt that we should first arrest his alleged accomplice before we bring him to
court,” said a police source.

Chipiyo has since been released from custody and the matter is now expected to proceed by way of summons.

Meanwhile, MDC-T Councillor for Ward 32 in Glen View, Tungamirai Madzokere, who is currently in remand prison for allegedly murdering a policeman two years ago has been accused of corruptly facilitating the sale of stands to home seekers in high density suburb.

According to a Harare Residents Trust community report  disgruntled Glen View residents  have since drafted a petition signed by more than 250 people in 33rd, 32nd, 36th and 37th crescents, rejecting the plans to sell the piece of land stretching  from  Glen View High One School, to Chemhanza Grounds.

“The land under dispute links Glen Norah and Mufakose for pedestrian movement, and children have for years used that place as a recreational centre, where local artists had established platforms for theatre and stage productions, although the council had left it idle,”
said the report.

The Harare Residents Trust said it condemned corrupt tendencies in council on housing allocations, and will continue to mobilise citizens
to take charge of their communities to stop the corrupt from stealing their land.

“Harare’s open spaces have been taken over by the rich who connive with corrupt officials in the Department of Urban Planning Services
without regard to the environment by-laws of council and provisions of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act.

“Councillors identify pieces of land for housing developments within their wards, and recommend it to the council, facilitating the deals.

The process requires that adverts be carried in national newspapers, indicating the change of land usage, something not done in this case,”
said HRT.

Government has warned that all people involved in the corrupt allocation of land, including council officials will be prosecuted.

This came after an audit revealed that more than 14 000 stands in Chitungwiza were illegally allocated.

Chitungwiza has since suspended an official on allegations of corruption while two others resigned on their own.