via Ex-MDC councillor defiant on demolitions – DailyNews Live 12 October 2014 by Albert Masaka
CHITUNGWIZA – Residents were left stunned after defiant fired MDC councillor Boniface Manyonganise started rebuilding his business premises in St Mary’s a day after council demolished most of it during a controversial midnight demolition blitz.
Last week Manyonganise, popularly known here as “Nyonga Nyonga”, produced papers which he claimed absolved him from any wrongdoing in the construction of the building arguing he bought the stand from one, Noster Gomo.
But Emmauel Gomo, father to Noster Gomo, the one cited in the papers as the stand owner before it was “bought”, said that he was the true owner of the said stand before he sold it to Manyonganise but the latter is now building his complex on a different site.
Manyonganise, who was dumped by the MDC on allegations of corruption, had earlier said council had no right to demolish his building because he had legally acquired the land.
“I am building again because I have these papers which prove that I am the buyer (of the stand) which I bought from Noster Gomo in 2008,” he said showing the Daily News on Sunday the documents.
One of the documents dated June 15, 2006 states that council; “recommended that Noster Gomo be allocated stand number 6927 St Mary’s to build a corner shop”.
Manyonganise said since he had bought the stand from Noster Gomo, council had acted illegally in demolishing his building.
“I have approached Tome (Alfred) to register my anger about this issue; I am still waiting for his response but have since reported the case as MDP, (Malicious Damage to Property).”
Asked if he had an agreement of sale to prove that he really bought the stand, Manyonganise said “the law says you don’t change ownership usati wavaka (before you build) so I am building to change ownership.”
He added that those who were calling him a land baron were insulting him because everything he did while he was still a councillor was above board since; “Kumusha sabhuku ane right yekugovera land so ini pandanga ndiri councillor I was (like) sabhuku vemutown (At rural area level, a village head has the right to distribute land and so as councillor I also had the right to do the same).”
A government land audit report on Chitungwiza and Seke Rural cited for prosecution fired Zanu PF councillor Frederick Mabamba, Boniface Manyonganise and Zanu PF Member of Parliament, Christopher Chigumba, among others for selling stands illegally.
But a visit to Noster’s father’s residence brought with it a surprising turn of events to the whole saga as the elderly Gomo claimed that Manyonganise was building on a different site from the one sold to him.
Emmanuel, an ex-Zanu PF councillor for ward 20 in St Mary’s says he is actually the one who sold the stand on the papers which bear his son’s name to Manyonganise about three years ago for a “paltry” $1 700.
“Noster is my last born but leave him out of this whole issue because the said stand is mine but I put it under my son’s name. I must admit, I sold it that cheap because we are homeboys, tinobva kumusha kumwe (we come from the same rural area), I just said take it,” said the elderly Gomo.
“The place he is building on is not the stand that I sold him, that place was not yet surveyed then. I sold him a stand at Chigovanyika but he later found out that council had given someone that stand so he decided to grab that new place,” he said.
However, council insists that Manyonganise is building illegally.
“That stand number belongs to another area, different from the one ‘Nyonga Nyonga’ is building on, besides the letter which you (the Daily News on Sunday) have shown me talks about a corner shop stand.
“Does what he is building look like a corner shop at all?” asked an official who declined to be named.
Town clerk George Makunde said Manyonganise had not submitted any building plans to council and that was why they was saying his building was illegal.
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