EDITOR — The residents of Chitungwiza are anxiously waiting for the publication of a report on findings and recommendations by the Joel Biggie Pasihomusha Matiza -led probe team which was looking at the problems associated with the allocation of residential stands in Chitungwiza and Seke communities.
The Local Government, Public Works and National Housing ministry in November 2013 constituted a team of commissioners to investigate the so-called illegal land deals in these two respective areas.
It took this investigation commission close to a month to complete this task and since then residents have been kept guessing on the contents of this long-awaited report.
Chitungwiza Residents Trust (Chitrest) feels that it is the right of every resident of Chitungwiza and Seke to have sight of this report or at least get to know its content in time, since it took hard earned ratepayers money to produce this report. Our major worry is the amount of energy being devoted only to this sensitive issue of proposed house demolitions by Matiza at the expense of other key areas of service delivery such as potable water provision, sewer reticulation and refuse management among other failing issues.
Residents have noted with concern that, with all due respect to the deputy minister, he has now relegated himself to a new role of a mere “deputy minister for Chitungwiza House Demolitions.”
He has since gone on overdrive in pre-empting his personal ideas and motives at every fora, including being a lone figure in Parliament pushing for this “madness”, in total disregard of due process.
Where for goodness sake is Ignatius Chombo in all this frenzy?
Chombo’s unusual silence and seemingly lack of interest is shocking and highly-suspicious.
We hope these are not Zanu PF factional fights manifesting at a ministerial level before the 2013 Chinhoyi Annual People’s conference.
What surprises us is that Matiza has an attachment with Chitungwiza having spent a greater part of his early years in Unit G township.
Residents can surely be forgiven to suspect that he is nicodemously pushing this agenda for personal aggrandisement.
Chitrest has since instructed its lawyers to take legal action against these proposed demolitions and above all is urging its membership, stakeholders and residents at large to remain resolute against these inhuman and illegal demolitions.
A wrong cannot make another wrong right and in defence of our properties we shall not rest.
Information and Research Department,
Chitungwiza Residents Trust (Chitrest)