The City of Gweru has reportedly repossessed at least 26 residential stands in Mkoba 21 from the government after its beneficiaries failed to pay for them.
As reported by the Southern Eye, a memo addressed to the beneficiaries dated January 30 copied to the Housing and Social Amenities ministry written by the housing committee, states that the repossessed stands attract a penalty at current market rates. It says:
The following list of stands are now under repossession and attract penalty to meet the current market rates; stand numbers 18171, 18202, 18205, 18211, 18215, 18217, 18222, 18241, 18257, 18258, 18269, 18277, 18287, 18289, 18297, 18302, 18325, 18344, 18411, 18485, 18493, 18524, 18426, 18527, 18532 and 18533.
However, Gweru mayor Councillor Martin Chivhoko denied claims that the local authority had repossessed the stands saying they were given to the government as commonage. He said:
At Mkoba 21 there are some stands which are under the ministry and not under council.
As a council, we are not repossessing any stands as these (stands) were given as commonage and have nothing to do with the local authority.
The Gweru City Council availed at least 6 000 stands to Mkoba 21 beneficiaries in 2014 and most of them were council employees.
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They were given the stands to set off four months’ salary arrears and bonuses owed to workers in 2015.
People are yet to start building houses as developers have not finished serving the land.
Last week, the local authority warned that it would cancel contracts of land developers who failed to service stands.
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