Rusape Town Council is grappling with a major scandal involving double allocation of residential stands, with some cases dating back to 2002. The issue came to light during a recent council meeting, where Housing Clerk Christine Chidada revealed that corrupt activities within the housing section led to the problem.
It appears that some individuals paid for stands between 2002 and 2018, only to have them allocated to others. Chidada explained that during Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation period, people would exchange small amounts of US dollars for trillions in bearer cheques, which were used to pay for stands. Now, original buyers are coming forward with receipts, only to find their stands have been sold to someone else.
A 2023 audit exposed the scam, revealing files with duplicate ownership. The housing committee has resolved that second buyers who have developed stands must repurchase them from the council, while undeveloped stands will be repossessed and returned to the original buyers.
Councillor Christine Murembwe criticized the housing department for failing to detect the anomalies, saying it’s unacceptable for such issues to go unnoticed. Makoni District Development Coordinator Edwin Mashindi also expressed concern, urging the department to take the issue seriously.
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