Title deeds impasse: Govt to intervene

MHANGURA residents who bought their houses from the Zimbabwe Mining and Development Corporation (ZMDC) in 2000 are yet to get the title deeds which they now want so they can prove their ownership.

The residents, most of whom were workers from the now defunct Mhangura Copper

Mine, were granted 99-year lease agreements but they cannot use these as surety when seeking loans.

A beneficiary, Mr Wellington Nyamanhekwe, and many other residents, said the matter had dragged for the past two decades without a sign of conclusion.

Speaking in Mhangura at the weekend during the Zanu PF Makonde District Coordinating Committee (DCC) engagement meeting, DCC chairperson Cde Kindness Paradza said he would engage the responsible ministry for the release of title deeds.

Cde Paradza, is also the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister.

He said Government was concerned about the welfare of citizens, particularly relating to the availability of decent accommodation, in line with the National Development Strategy 1.

“You bought these houses and have been waiting for title deeds for a long time. Together with your Member of Parliament, Cde (Precious) Masango, we will engage the responsible Minister,” he said.

Cde Paradza said the title deeds will help empower the community as they will use them as surety to access loans from banks for them to venture into business and extension of the properties.

The development of Mhangura town has also continued to hang in the balance due to an impasse over land ownership between ZMDC and Makonde Rural District Council.

Residents and civic organisations are lobbying responsible ministries to intervene so that ZMDC transfers the land to Makonde council which needs it to continue sorting out the shortage of accommodation due to a ballooning population.

The town has over 12 000 residents yet a number of serviced and unserviced residential and commercial stands lie idle.

Makonde Rural District Council chairperson Alderman Simbarashe Ziyambi, recently said some of the land in the town belonged to ZMDC, making it difficult to allocate stands to people without the parastatal’s co-operation and approval.