Civil servants cry foul over stands

MORE than 200 civil servants could have been duped by a private land developer into buying non-existing stands in Umguza District after it emerged that the local authority controlling the area was not aware of the transaction.

Umguza Rural District Council (RDC) has since distanced itself from the land developer who allegedly sold housing stands to hundreds of civil servants but has failed to allocate them to the beneficiaries. The developer, Mr Nicholas Masuku of N and S Properties is said to be failing to account to the irate civil servants who have been demanding that they now wanted to build their houses. The stands are said to be located at Ntabazinduna Township near the Police and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) depots.

Some of the beneficiaries included police officers, prison officers, teachers, nurses and some locals based in South Africa.

Beneficiaries who spoke on condition of anonymity said they have been contributing to the scheme since 2011.

“We got these stands from as far back as 2011, we paid deposits of $500 and we have been paying the developer $100 each month since then. Some of the stands were pegged at $3 000. We had been told that after servicing we were free to build only if we submit our plans for approval,” said a beneficiary.

The beneficiaries, seeing that they were not getting any joy from the developer wrote to the Umguza Rural District Council seeking assistance on how to submit housing plans. That was when they discovered that the company was not even known by the local authority.

Sunday News is in possession of letters from the beneficiaries to Umguza RDC and the reply dated 30 September 2016.

The letter from the RDC, signed by Engineer Queen Masocha reads: “First of all, we are not aware of the existence of the Ntabazinduna Housing Committee; secondly we are not aware that there are N and S Properties stands in Ntabazinduna. Thirdly you are advised to surrender your plans to those that sold you the stands so that they assist you with all your logistical requirements.”

The director of N and S Properties, Mr Masuku refuted the allegations levelled against him and said he has taken Umguza RDC to court for denying to acknowledge him when they have a running contract.

“I cannot say much but I have approached the courts over the matter and I will wait and see the outcome. But these people are lying, I am open for discussion with them, I am not avoiding them as they claim,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from the Umguza RDC chief executive officer Mr Collen Moyo were in vain.