Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo was working in cahoots with the Chitungwiza Town Clerk and fired Chitungwiza MDC mayor to loot housing stands, an internal party probe has revealed.

The MDC, which has zero tolerance to corruption, last week fired all its councilors in Chitungwiza for dabbling in corrupt activities at the expense of service delivery to the people of Chitungwiza.

The probe, whose findings were revealed at a press conference at Harvest House last Friday, reveals that 20 commercial stands were grabbed by Chombo working in cahoots with fired MDC mayor Israel Marange and the Town Clerk Tanyanyiwa. The commercial stands were sold between US$4000 and US$5000, with council getting only US$500 and the rest of the cash pocketed by Chombo, Tanyanyiwa and Marange.

“It is alleged that the deal was supported by Chombo who is alleged to have grabbed land to build a hotel,” MDC deputy Secretary General Hon Tapiwa Mashakada, who chaired the probe team, told a news conference in Harare last week. “Chombo is also accused of writing Land Subdivision letters to the Town Clerk who implements the directives without consulting council. This is irregular as no ministerial directive can be implemented without going through scrutiny by the council through the relevant committee and the full council.”

There had been systematic asset stripping by a cartel comprising Zanu PF officials, working in concert with 23 Chitungwiza MDC councilors who were fired by the party last week. “Former Zanu PF councilor Fredrick Mabamba is alleged to own a quarter of Chitungwiza land,” Hon Mashakada said. “Sometime in 2008 Mabamba with the assistance of Ignatius Chombo and the former Commission allegedly subdivided land he was allocated to build a secondary school. He allegedly subdivided the land in phases; the first subdivision was Stand Number 18259 to Stand Number 18276, Second Phase stand Number 18921-18930. All in all the secondary school land was allegedly subdivided into 26 residential stands under the direction of Chombo and without council approval.” In addition, said Hon Mashakada, Zanu PF sympathizers had subdivided land which was planned for recreational facilities, primary and secondary schools. Some beer halls and land set aside for hospitals was grabbed by Zanu PF stalwarts in the town during the period between the aborted June 2008 elections and the swearing in of new MDC councilors.

Motor vehicles had also been grabbed. “As reported elsewhere in this report,” said Hon Mashakada, “council vehicles were allegedly taken by former commissioners and the Town Clerk. Tanyanyiwa, the Town Clerk allegedly took one truck, a tractor and a T35 lorry. Nota the former acting executive mayor who defected to Zanu PF allegedly took lorries and a company called Glatiin allegedly took three tippers, one front end loader and a grader and is refusing orders to return the assets.” “Corruption is generally rampant and footloose in the Chitungwiza Town Council,” Hon Mashakada said. “More specifically, the corruption is allegedly perpetrated and abated by the Town Clerk, Mr. Tanyanyiwa, former Zanu PF councilors, and Zanu PF officials working in cohorts with Chombo. To put it more succinctly, corruption in Chitungwiza revolves around land.

All open spaces and land for public amenities such as schools and recreational facilities was allegedly grabbed by Zanu PF officials who are now subdividing the land into residential stands with Chombo’s blessings and by passing council. The stands are sold for anything between US$4000 and US$5000. Council receives a paltry US$500 and the rest is pocketed,” Hon Mashakada said. The party probe also revealed that the Town Clerk continued to allocate commercial and industrial stands to Zanu PF cronies without advertising and by passing the Council’s General Purpose Committee.

“All this is being allegedly done with the blessing of Chombo,” Hon Mashakada said. Hon Mashakada said prior to the current MDC council, all crèches were leased and controlled by Zanu PF officials and councilors in Chitungwiza. “These crèches were supposed to be operated on lease basis but Zanu PF officials were not paying rentals to council,” Hon Mashakada said. “Moreover, they were now using the crèches as torture bases during the June 2008 run-off. MDC councilors cancelled the Zanu PF leases and council repossessed the crèches. Unwittingly, MDC councilors then took over the leases of all the crèches and Zanu PF people went mad. They approached Chombo who immediately reversed the council decision and all crèches were returned to Zanu PF people for “lease”.”

Mashakada said while the MDC was cracking down on corruption in all party-run local authorities, with the party adopting a Code of Ethics and Values that makes it incumbent on all members and elected officials to adopt zero tolerance to corruption, Chombo was now using the corruption trump card to get moral and legitimate authority to oust democratically elected MDC councilors. “His real intention it’s into a well orchestrated Zanu PF strategy to soil the image of MDC,” Hon Mashakada said. “This is being promoted by a well coordinated media strategy by ZBC and the Herald. The intention is to replace MDC controlled councils with Zanu PF Commissions and loot these Urban Councils. MDC will not cover up any corruption. Neither will we sweep corruption under the carpet.

The party has acted with speed on cases of corruption and will continue to do so where there   is evidence.” Hon Mashakada said Chombo should never be allowed to, in a wholesale manner; oust MDC councilors in favor of Zanu PF commissions – for commissions were a Zanu PF agenda and not panaceas for dealing with corruption.

The party wanted a caretaker council in Chitungwiza or fresh by-elections to replace the sacked councilors, not a Zanu PF commission that Chombo is unilaterally attempting to impose. “Corruption should be dealt with as corruption,” Hon Mashakada said. “Clearly Chombo is not interested in accountability but power. This is well demonstrated by the fact that, Chombo has never dismissed any Town Clerk.” For example in Norton, said Hon Mashakada, the MDC Councilors fired the Town Clerk whose corruption had been exposed in an official audit but Chombo ordered his reinstatement. “Town Clerks have become little barons of Local Authorities and the citadels and architects of corruption,” Hon   Mashakada said.