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George Maponga in Masvingo 

Chiredzi residents have petitioned the local authority to push Government for the immediate release of the Nhamo Commission report whose findings are key in exposing shady land deals involving councillors in the previous regime of the local authority.

The commission was set up by Government to probe corrupt land deals involving councillors who allegedly parcelled residential stands to relatives and their cronies at housing schemes such as Shineplus, Joina and Makondo in the sugar cane growing town.

These land deals allegedly took place on pockets of land donated by Hippo Valley estates to Chiredzi Town council for residential trial stands development.

The probe took place when Chiredzi Town Council was led by Councillor Francis Moyo, who was council chair.

It is alleged that councillors in the sugar cane growing town corruptly allocated up to 40 residential stands each to people of their choice prompting an outcry that culminated in the probe by the Nhamo Commission.

This alleged malfeasance is feared to have cost the local authority tens of thousands of United States dollars with corrupt councillors benefiting financially from the sale of stands to their cronies and relatives.

Findings of the commission set up more than five years ago have not yet been made public.

The issue of the probe’s findings loomed large during last week’s Chiredzi West Constituency development indaba held at Chitsanga Hall.

This inaugural meeting sought to tackle a number of issues drawing back development in the constituency which encompasses the entire Chiredzi town.

Chiredzi West National Assembly representative Cde Farai Musikavanhu has since written to Chiredzi Town Council demanding that the local authority pushes for the release of the Commission’s findings.

“I have not yet seen the Nhamo Commission report but from what residents say the report appears to have captured the issue of irregularities in land allocations done on pockets of land donated by Hippo Valley estates to the council,” he said.

“I am requesting you (Chiredzi Acting Town Secretary) in my oversight role as the Member of Parliament for Chiredzi West Constituency to urgently secure a copy of the Nhamo Commission report and its recommendations,” read a letter by Cde Musikavanhu to Mr Wesley Kauma, the acting Chiredzi Town Secretary.

Cde Musikavanhu vowed to continue fighting and exposing corruption in Chiredzi West.

During the constituency indaba, Chiredzi residents demanded answers on the murky land deals by the previous council.

They also want a deed of transfer of the land donated by Hippo Valley to the local authority which will also be key in implementing Government’s directive that urban dwellers get title deeds for their houses.

The  Chiredzi West indaba also tackled the issue of welfare for thousands of Tongaat Huletts employees.

Tongaat Huletts’s two sugar mills are domiciled in Chiredzi West so are the majority of the firm’s more than 15 000 workers.

Also up for discussion at the indaba was how to unlock the sugar industry value chain for the benefit of indigenous people after Government designated sugar candy a strategic crop.

Small and medium scale enterprises were also taken through their paces on how they can accrue benefits from the sugar industry by targeting low hanging fruits to grow their businesses.