Two land developers were given the greenlight by the Harare
City Council to sell 10 000 unserviced stands in Mabvuku and Warren Park.
The Herald reports that the council’s audit chairperson,
Councillor Blessing Duma, alleged that Shelter Zimbabwe and Pure Gold entered
into contracts with the City of Harare to develop approximately 200ha to 300ha
in Mabvuku, already reserved for residential use.
But instead of developing the stands, putting in the water
and sewer mains and building the roads and storm-water drains, the developers
sold the land as unserviced stands.
“If we calculate at US$10 000, which is the usual selling
price per stand, it’s almost US$20 million that was realised,” Cllr Duma said.
“Shelter Zimbabwe and Pure Gold failed to perform, and on
November 22, 2022, the audit committee, chaired by Councillor Charumbira,
sought a legal opinion and referred the matter to the housing department.
“On February 8, 2023, the legal opinion offered two
options: to terminate the contracts and find alternative developers or
renegotiate with tighter terms. We do not give a developer land to sell as
unserviced residential stands because the purpose of the developer is to
develop residential stands.
“But now, the guys from the housing department, the
principal allocation officer and the research officer Mr (Edgar) Dzehonye and
Mr Bindura said in the agreement in 2020, they would allow them to sell
unserviced stands.”
