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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent

HARARE City Council has stopped allocating residential land to cooperative to curb the swindling of residents by land barons running cooperatives and instead has invited residents on the waiting list to approach the council directly.

This comes after residents have  lost their hard-earned money to land barons who were selling a single residential stand to multiple home seekers.

Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme on Tuesday warned residents against paying for residential stands to land barons and apply to the local authority.

“Members of the public are once again reminded to stop paying money to housing cooperative management committees,” he said.

“The city has since stopped issuing housing land to cooperatives as part of its wider mandate to stop the fleecing of residents of their hard-earned funds. As a result, cooperatives that were not allocated land before the review, will not be accommodated.

“Members of such schemes have since been advised to deal directly with council. The city’s reviewed housing policy restores the city’s authority to service and sell the serviced land to individuals on its housing waiting list. The policy outlines that residents should not deal with middlemen or housing cooperative management committees.”

Mr Chideme said any demands for cash by cooperative management committees were illegal, daylight robbery and a misrepresentation.

He said residents looking for residential land should approach council directly in their personal capacities.

“Residents are urged to visit our district offices to verify any demands of cash payments by these people,” he said. “Residents should also report to the police people making any cash demands. Any housing cooperative that had not been allocated land before the review of the housing policy will not be allocated. Its members should now deal directly with council under our various schemes.”

Mr Chideme said residents were urged to visit the Remembrance Drive council offices for any land inquiries.

He said there was no room for housing cooperatives and only those that were at various stages of completing housing construction were given timelines to wind up the operations.