Harare City boss remanded in custody over illegal stands deal

Prosper Dembedza

Court Correspondent

Harare City Director of Housing and Community Service Addmore Nhekairo last Friday appeared in court on allegations of illegally parcelling out stands on land reserved for recreational purposes.

Nhekairo (55) was facing two counts of criminal abuse of duty when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje.

He was remanded in custody to today for bail application. 

The court heard that Nhekairo, contrary to his duties and as a sign of showing favour, contacted John Manyara, who is the Chief Environmental Health Officer at City of Harare in July 2018 advising him that there were vacant stands which had been subdivided on stand number 2603 Mabelreign, Harare.

He subsequently invited Manyara for interviews and advised him to make a payment of 50 percent intrinsic value, which was paid on July 12 before going on the waiting list.

It is the State’s case that Manyara went for the interview for stand number 3619 Mabelreign measuring 1 353 square metres, which was a subdivision of stand number 2603 reserved for recreational purposes.

The court heard that on July 13 2018, Manyara paid $6 to be added on the waiting list and was subsequently issued with number 126/01/18.

It is alleged that in August that same year, Nhekairo issued an offer letter to Manyara for stand number 3619 Mabelreign being a subdivision of stand number 2603.

The court heard that Nhekairo’s conduct was contrary or inconsistent with his duties in that he offered stand number 3619 Mabelreign to Manyara well knowing that the stand was a subdivision of stand 2603 which had been reserved for recreational purposes and was not for residential purposes.

It is alleged that he showed favour to Manyara who should not have been allocated the stand as lawful procedures relating to the acquisition of that stand for residential purposes had not been followed.

Nhekairo used the same modus operandi on the second count on Tinashe Douglas Chirima, who is Director of Cape North Investments, by offering him the remainder of stand number 2603 Mabelreign, well knowing that it had been reserved for recreational purposes and was not to be offered for sale.

Chirima paid a total of $34 500 from a period extending from September 27 2018 to December that same year.

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