Blessings Chidakwa Municipal Correspondent

CHITUNGWIZA Town Council has been ordered to clean up the mess it created when it allocated MDC Zengeza East legislator Goodrich Chimbaira a stand belonging to the widow of former editor of The Sunday Mail, Pascal Mukondiwa.

Now, the council has to compensate Mr Chimbaira for his buildings and return the stand to Mrs Mukondiwa since the first allo­cation by law has priority over the second.

Council intentionally created three site plans for the same stand and produced two different house numbers.

MP Chimbaira is reported to have built his own structures on stand number 22247 Unit K despite the fact that there were exist­ing structures including a well already on the property.

The Government intervened after the widow wrote a letter to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works alleging unfair treatment by Chitungwiza officials who wanted her to surrender the property and said they would allocate her a new stand.

Local Government and Public Works Deputy Minister Marian Chombo last Friday met the concerned parties with Chitungwiza admitting that it was involved in double allocation in favour of the MP.

She said the state of Chitungwiza was worrisome as there were numerous cases of double allocation being reported on a daily basis.

After meeting the involved parties, Dep­uty Minister Chombo ordered Chitungwiza to take responsibility of the full costs for the property that had been constructed by MP Chimbaira.

“Chitungwiza should compensate legis­lator Chimbaira all the full costs. We need to respect and protect the vulnerable, not aggrieve them.

“The era of corruption is over, she (Mrs Mukondiwa) was rightfully allocated her stand and there is no reason to try and relo­cate her. Clean up your mess Chitungwiza,” she said.

Chitungwiza Acting Chamber Secre­tary Raymond Wenyeve, who was repre­senting the acting town clerk Dr Tonderai Kasu, said they erred in double allocating a stand which rightfully belonged to Mrs Mukondiwa.

“I joined the organisation in March 2018 as a legal advisor, but there are a lot of cases concerning double allocations coming up. The challenge stemmed from the fact that while council was repossessing stands, the process was done unlawfully and in contra­vention of the Urban Council’s Act,” he said.

“The law is very clear in cases of double allocation that rights of the first occupant supersede those of the second occupant.”

The deceased’s wife, Mrs Mukondiwa said last year in November she was taken aback to see construction taking place at her stand where she had erected a two-roomed house.

“On inquiring initially at Chitungwiza Head Office, I was told to go to Seke South Office where I was told that the file for the stand was missing.

“I then concluded that it was an inside job after being tossed from one office to another.

“I believe the people who resold our stand had noted that my husband had died. That is why they acted in such a manner and you wonder how many people have been duped of their stands when their loved ones died,” she said.

Mrs Mukondiwa said she had been pay­ing rates for the property. Mr Chimbaira could not be reached for a comment.

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