Zimpapers Logo

George Maponga in MASVINGO
A former MDC-T Masvingo city councillor and a senior municipal official allegedly used their positions to help their children corruptly buy residential stands that they then sold to the public. Former Ward 8 councillor in the previous MDC-T-dominated council Misheck Gapare allegedly used his influence and helped his then seven-year-old son to “buy” a housing stand on January 16, 2002.

Gapare and his wife, Nyaradzo, then sold the stand to Progress Hadzirabwi for an undisclosed sum on June 15, 2009 although there was no evidence the pair were authorised to sell the stand on behalf of their son.

Documents in our possession show that council never received any money for the stand, No.  27829 in Mucheke suburb, from either the child or his parents as the three cheques meant to pay for it were dishonoured by a bank.

The waiting list card allegedly used by the son is not on register, raising suspicion that it might have been acquired fraudulently.
According to minutes of a city audit committee meeting on January 22, 2014, Hadzirabwi built a house on the stand in question after Gapare received a letter of withdrawal of stand allocation from the then director of Housing and Community Services, the late Linos Vandirai, in 2008.

The letter of withdrawal of provisional stand allocation was written because the cheque was returned to drawer, read minutes of the audit committee meeting.

“The stand (No.  27829) was developed without council’s consent in that the developer was instructed not to proceed with any construction work because the stand had been repossessed and there was no proof that it was inspected by council building inspectors.’’

Susan Makazhe, secretary to the director of Housing and Community Services, also allegedly helped her son to fraudulently get stand number 20392 in Rujeko C suburb.

The stand had been repossessed from Boas Gwatirinda in December 2008 for failing to develop it.
Masvingo Mayor Councillor Hubert Fidze yesterday said council was going to deliberate what action to take against Gapare and Makazhe.
“That issue is top of the agenda when our full council meeting takes place at the end of this month,” he said.

Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers’ Association said it wanted a full audit of the stands allocation system.