By ALBERT MASAKA

LOCAL Government and Public Works minister Daniel Garwe has directed Chitungwiza mayor Rosaria Mangoma and Manyame Rural District Council chairperson to resuscitate the Manyame-Chitungwiza Joint Committee in order to resolve the long drawn housing saga.

Garwe said this today in Parliament while responding to a question from St Mary’s MP Brighton Mazhindu.

Mazhindu had asked the minister on the measures government was taking to ensure that residents who bought stands from Chitungwiza Municipality under the Nyatsime Housing scheme in 2007 will build their homes.

Several efforts by government have failed to resolve the issue that has led the area to be one of the most underdeveloped urban areas in the country with many people drowning while attempting to cross the river during the rain season.

 “Whilst queries are duly directed to the Ministry, and the two Local Authorities in question (Chitungwiza Municipality and Manyame Rural District Council), the delays in addressing the issues emanating from Nyatsime are primarily due to the dormancy of the Manyame Chitungwiza Joint Committee.

Garwe said government will ensure that the Joint Committee functions in accordance with SI 211 of 2021. 

The area under the Nyatsime Housing Scheme falls within a zone jointly managed by Chitungwiza Municipality and Manyame Rural District Council.

The six-member committee made up of three councillors from each local authority was set up by former minister of Local Government July Moyo in 2021.

 The Committee’s  primary purpose is to handle issues emanating from management of six farms which fall within shared territory of the two councils.

At law, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works may, in terms of Section 224 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15), as read with Section 83 of the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13], establish a Joint Committee to look into the joint management of land or an area of joint interest. 

 The farms are Braemar, Longlands, Cawdor, Edinburg, Tantallon and Dunnottar.

“It is evident that the Joint Committee has not been dealing with issues such as the Nyatsime case, let alone siting, as expected.

“Whilst the Ministry stands ready to support the Joint Committee, it is the obligation of the Joint Committee to resolve issues raised by  beneficiaries of the Nyatsime Housing Scheme since they fall within the  boundaries of the farms stated in SI 211 of 2021” added Garwe.

By ALBERT MASAKA/TSITSI MASHIRI

WISTMER Investments chairman Prophet Walter Magaya has allayed  fears expressed by some residents’ leaders that he was out to swindle residents by promising to end the perennial water woes that bedevil Chitungwiza, and improve service delivery in other  key sectors of the ailing municipality.

This follows reports that the government has engaged Wistmer in a bid to improve service delivery in Chitungwiza.

Magaya scoffed at allegations by some disgruntled residents that he was taking over the control of Chitungwiza.

“I want to assure Chitungwiza residents that we are going to provide a reliable supply of potable water, their challenges will be a thing of the past.

“I am passionate about developing my hometown Chitungwiza, I have invested in Harare and other parts of the country.

“My people-centred investments have also been welcomed in neighbouring countries and beyond.”

Local Government minister Daniel Garwe last week announced  that Wistmer was going to take charge of the town’s water provision, sewer reticulation, garbage collection, management and regularisation of settlements, businesses and markets.

Government is reported to be concerned  with the way  Chitungwiza council is managing its affairs and has intervened to increase its water supply capacity, amid current water woes dogging the town.

Wistmer has drilled and rehabilitated nearly 20 boreholes in the Manyame Rural District Council area that are also expected to supply Chitungwiza.

Meanwhile, residents interviewed by Dungwiza News have expressed hope that Magaya will deliver.

“I work up at 5 every day to fetch water before going to school,” said a 13-year-old girl from Ward 8.

“My stepmother said if I don’t do that, I won’t eat anything. So, I really thank Magaya for this. I’ll be able to focus on my studies more, and borehole marshalls won’t be able to take advantage of girls by abusing us in exchange for water,”  said a 13-year-old girl (name supplied) from Ward 8.

Ekina Sangare, a senior citizen from Ward 1,  a resident of Chitungwiza for over 25 years expressed her disappointment with the municipality’s failure to provide basic services.

 “But I’m happy that Prophet Magaya will resolve this issue. Most women in Chitungwiza suffer every day, fetching water and buying it for $1 per 4 buckets. It’s a heavy burden.”

Award-winning disability journalist Nyasha Nhau  welcomed the intervention  by the government.

“This is good news to my ears, such interventions make it easier for the disability sector to access water. All these years, the disability constituency has been neglected, suffering to access water. The residents should embrace Magaya because he has a spirit of service and is giving back to the community that groomed him.”

… cllrs recuse themselves, 12 remain at the end

By ALBERT MASAKA

FIREWORKS erupted during yesterday’s special meeting where Chitungwiza  councillors blocked a tender for the town’s valuation roll exercise that was controversially awarded to Grosbrook Real Estate accusing the under fire  acting town clerk Japson Nemuseso and his managers of not following due process.

According to sources, the councillors also queried the amount of $780 000 that council had agreed to pay Grosbrook, which they believe was  inflated and resolved to set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the issue.

Many councillors especially from the audit committee ended up walking out of the stormy meeting with some recusing themselves.

Nemuseso is reported to have admitted  that the figure has initially shocked him but could not give a convincing statement on why he later signed the contract, without the knowledge of the mayor Rosario Mangoma and her councillors.

“It was a very tense meeting, some people had to recuse themselves, this was  after a proposal was made by a councillor  that the tender be cancelled and then be re-tendered because of the exorbitant fees. Research from other local authorities such as  Chinhoyi and Marondera show the figures to be around $55 000 against our figure of $780 000.

“The recommendation sailed through, we went further to call for the setting up of a committee to investigate how this came about. Curiously this led to a lot of councilors names supplied recusing themselves and walking out somewhat in protest.”

“But we stuck to our guns, how can we justify such controversial decisions when are are failing to deliver  and paying workers, this is taxpayers’ money at stake.”  

 Council announced recently it will be undertaking a general valuation of all properties in  Chitungwiza in terms of the Urban Councils Act and has appointed Grosbrook to undertake the exercise.

The notice  stated that this was  in line with the first stage of  President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Call to Action -No Compromise to Service Delivery interventions aimed at modernising local authorities operations in line with Vision 2030.

The municipality advised residents to allow officials from Grosbrook Real Estate P/L access into their properties for valuation purposes.

“To that end, Council has engaged Grosbrook Real Estate P/L to undertake this important exercise. Valuation officers from Grosbrook Real Estate P/L will be visiting your properties for inspection and assessment from June 24, 2024 for purposes of preparing a general valuation roll for the Municipality.” part of the notice read.

The properties include residential, commercial, industrial and institutional properties, read the notice signed by Nemuseso.

A general valuation roll is a legal document that consists of property information of all rateable properties within the boundaries of a municipality.

A property valuation report is given to the property owner to indicate the condition of the house and how much it is worth in the market. The report helps a buyer as well as a seller in assessing the value of a property. Based on the property valuation reports, you can estimate the price of your property.

Chitungwiza  public relations officer Tafadzwa Kachiko who last week said he had never seen any newspaper  inquiring on the valuation roll figures elsewhere,  promised to come back with a response on the latest development.

Mangoma yesterday had referred all questions to Kachiko

More details to follow