ChiTown suspends demolitions
CHITUNGWIZA Municipality has halted demolition of illegal structures that have sprouted in the dormitory town until it received “policy direction” from central government. The local authority announced the move after Chitungwiza Residents Trust (Chitrest) demanded to be furnished with a list of residential stands earmarked for demolition.
Chitrest, through its lawyers Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Idirashe Chikomba, had on January 13 written to council demanding a list of properties awaiting demolition after the local authority, in a leaked memorandum dated January 12, 2021, announced plans to demolish over 11 000 illegal structures.
In a statement, acting town clerk Tonderai Kasu said the issue of demolitions and regularisation had been put on hold as they required policy direction.
“It is noted as well that you have taken interest in the status of, and progress regarding regularisation of illegal settlements in Chitungwiza. You are hereby informed that the issues of both demolitions and regularisation are matters that require policy direction.
“This policy direction is supposed to come from both local and national levels, which consists of Cabinet, and our parent ministry of Local Government and Public Works,” Kasu said.
“Many of the issues you are raising with respect to both demolitions and regularisation are still the subject of policy formulation discussions that are taking place at both local and national level and hence at the present time the administration of the municipality is waiting for guidance in the form of policy direction on these matters.”
He said any administrative action to be taken by the municipality would be subject to compliance with section 74 of the Constitution.
Over the years, Chitungwiza has been experiencing problems of illegal structures built on spaces reserved for clinics, churches, schools, cemeteries, recreational activities, roads, under high voltage electricity pylons and on wetlands.
Meanwhile, the St Mary’s Clinic, which had been closed since January 14 due to staff shortages after seven frontline health workers tested positive to COVID-19, has been reopened.
Kasu told stakeholders in a notice that the clinic was still short-staffed even if 24 of the workers that tested positive to the coronavirus recovered after self-isolation. The council has four clinics. The others are Zengeza Clinic, Seke North and Seke South.
THE death of Transport minister Joel Biggie Matiza two weeks ago has plunged Mashonaland East province into election mode, with Zanu PF party members reportedly jostling to take over his parliamentary seat as well as provincial chairmanship.
Matiza is one of the four ministers who succumbed to COVID-19 and was buried at the National Heroes Acre.
Others are Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo, Perrance Shiri (Agriculture) and Ellen Gwaradzimba (Manicaland Provincial Affairs).
At the time of his death, he doubled as Murewa South MP and Zanu PF provincial chairperson.
NewsDay is reliably informed that in Murewa South, popularly known as Macheke, there are four aspiring candidates — Noah Mangondo, Josphat Tanga, Michael Chifamba and Lyn Gororo — all eyeing the late Matiza's party posts.
Matiza’s deputy, Michael Madanha is the party’s acting provincial chairperson.
A Zanu PF top party official, who declined to be named, told NewsDay that the provincial chairmanship was likely to be given to a candidate from any district, except Murewa.
He said Uzumba MP Simbaneuta Mudarikwa was likely to land the top post.
“Members are already canvassing over who is to replace Matiza. Some have opted to elect Mudarikwa (Uzumba MP) for the post. However, others are of the view that it is high time the chairmanship post moved from Murewa to other districts, possibly Seke district. We are still mourning our late leader and time will tell. For now, Madanha is the boss,” the official said.
The late Matiza defeated Edgar Mbwembwe (former Local Government deputy minister) by a wide margin during the provincial elections.
Matiza was then chucked out of the position by the G40 cabal, which accused him of undermining the authority of the late former President Robert Mugabe. He
was replaced by Bernard Makokove from Chikomba district.
He later bounced back together with his executive following President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to the throne.