via Govt stops demolitions, offers compensation to Rautenbach – NewsDay Zimbabwe December 15, 2015
GOVERNMENT has stopped all demolition of “illegal” structures in Aspindale and ordered the Harare City Council to take over the housing project and regularise the existing 500 structures.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere announced the move following a tour of the area, whose ownership was at the centre of dispute between businessman Billy Rautenbach and some housing co-operatives.
Kasukuwere said government had offered to compensate Rautenbach by allocating him an alternative piece of land, measuring 180 hectares to carry out his own housing projects.
Government’s intervention comes after council last week demolished over 200 structures, accusing the developers of illegally occupying land reserved for schools, clinics and water reservoirs.
“Harare City Council will take over this land and ensure that it is serviced and the houses here are not demolished. I will get State land and compensate you,” Kasukuwere told Rautenbach during the tour.
Kasukuwere also ordered all the residents of the area to stop paying subscriptions to Innop Investments, a company owned by Zanu PF Chirumhanzu South MP Innocent Pedzisai.
The company had allegedly claimed ownership of the land and sold the stands to desperate homeseekers.
The residents claimed they had paid nearly $2,9 million to Pedzisai’s company and were taken aback after council started demolishing their structures last week.
Innop manager Nicholas Mukwaiwa, who was also part of the team, said they had reached a deal with Rautenbach and his company, which would have seen them buy the land.
“We realised that this was private land after we had already done some developments and that is when we reached a deal to buy the land from them at $35 per m2 and we are selling it at $45, but now there has been a departure from that agreement owing to the interventions by the minister [Kasukuwere]. To us, this is still a civil matter and there is nothing criminal about our actions,” Mukwaiwa said.
Innop claimed it had occupied the land on the strength of a letter from Lands minister Douglas Mombeshora, but Kasukuwere dismissed the letter, saying it does not work in Harare, which was his area of jurisdiction.
“This is not a village. We cannot have people taking land and just building as they please. This is my territory and Mombeshora’s letter does not work here,” he charged.
He also ordered acting town clerk Josephine Ncube to suspend water director engineer Christopher Zvobgo, to investigate how the structures were connected to the council’s main water line.
Meanwhile, illegal settlers who have built houses along the Harare Airport Road have started moving out after government allocated them land at Ridgestone Farm.
Kasukuwere said they should all move out by end of Friday and all their houses demolished.
« Zim incomes decline
Corruption stops flow of African progress »