Chombo Involved In Midlands Land Fraud
Former Local Government minister (2000 -2015), Ignatius Chombo, has been implicated in the irregular allocation of State land to private developers in the Midlands province.
This was revealed by Cecilia Chitiyo, the former Midlands provincial administrator (PA), who was responding to the Justice Tendai Uchena-led commission of inquiry into sale of State land.
Chombo allegedly allowed for the attachment of commercial farms surrounding Gweru, Shurugwi and Zvishavane, before he formally transferred the land in question from the Lands ministry to the Local Government ministry as per procedure.
Chitiyo also alleged that private land developers were even allowed to develop residential stands before the approval of their engineering designs by local authorities. She said:
The minister (Chombo) was aware of what we were doing in terms of the allocations of land. He would come for ground-breaking ceremonies of the projects. He would also come to officially open the projects. So, I do not know why it is now said the land allocations were illegal when the minister and at times his permanent secretary would grace such occasions?
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Justice Uchena, however, said that as a Public Admistrator, Chitiyo should have known the procedure and advise the Minister accordingly. Uchena said:
I believe that you write examinations to become a PA or you get requisite training in administration. You should have known that what was happening was wrong and told your superior.
Chitiyo, however, insisted she had no authority to challenge her boss.
More: News Day
