HARARE – MDC-T structures Chitungwiza have handed party leader and state Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai a dossier containing details of massive looting, corruption including illegal land sales at Chitungwiza town council, sources told The Zimbabwean on Sunday last week.

The damning dossier that those in the know say could make former Zanu (PF) councilors, who looted public coffers in cities across the country look like armatures, was also given to MDC-T anti-corruption czar Tapiwa Mashakada.
Chitungwiza like most major towns and cities in the country is run by Tsvangirai’s party.   
The report forensically outlines corrupt transactions and property deals involving several powerful members of the Chitungwiza town council elite, with the total value of land and other property illegally sold running into several tens of thousands of US dollars.  

Wrong side
While the report has been leaked to the Press by elements in the unity government who appear motivated by a desire to ultimately tarnish Tsvangirai’s image, it nonetheless remains a strong indictment against the MDC-T or at least some of its leaders.
The leaked document was prepared by the MDC-T’s Zengeza West district and is one of one of preliminary reports received by the Prime Minister and Mashakada, who has been tasked by the party to nip in the bud sprouting corruption in MDC-run councils.  
Efforts to obtain comment from Mashakada were futile. But MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the Zengeza West report was part of a body of evidence gathered by the party in an ongoing corruption probe on all MDC-run local authorities.
"We set up a committee headed by our deputy secretary general, honourable Mashakada, that is the one tasked with dealing in a decisive fashion with all the people who have been caught on the wrong side," Chamisa said. "The committee is yet to present a full report to the executive, but they have done a lot of work."  
The Zengeza document names the four councillors allegedly involved in the property corruption scandal as: Ward 11 councillor Tineyi Kanyama, Ward 12 councillor Rangarirai Mutingwende, Ward 9 councillor Marengu Tembo and Ward 6 councillor Patrick Urayayai.
The report also contains names of business associates and front-men allegedly used by the councilors in their dealings.
Disclosure of the report comes as Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo has suspended one of the councillors named in the dossier, councillor Kanyama pending a probe into allegations that he corruptly allocated himself a commercial and residential stand in the town.

Stands for cars
In a charge that casts doubts on the caliber of the entire council, the report says all councillors were allocated residential stands in Ward 6, Zengeza 5 Extension by sacked ex-Chitungwiza mayor Israel Marange but the councillors have either sold or exchanged the stands with vehicles.
Documents in our possession allege that Clr Kanyama has illegally sold some stands located near Zengeza 3 shop centre despite a High Court order HC4908/08 issued on 17 December 2008 barring sale of the said properties.
The documents allege the Chitungwiza housing director, one Mrs Gumbo and Councillor Nota's wife of Zanu (PF) were involved in the corrupt sale of the housing stands.
"The agreement was for him to benefit 30 stands from stand number 18259-18930 of which he got those stands," says the report. "He sold 3 stands 19093, 19094 and 18041 for US$3000 (each).  
Of those 30 stands some were exchanged with vehicles, a Toyota Corolla ABF 7437 from Hubert Nguruzi with 2 stands, Red Musso AAI8245 from Liberty Mandimuka in exchange with a stand. Toyota Cressida ABA 5494, Mazda B1600, AAH7463 from Clear Line Electrical exchanged for a stand."
Some of the stands were allegedly sold to Aaron Dzimba, stand No. 18921, Michael Nyashanu No. 18925, Patrick Gono stand No. 18922; Simbarashe Musaki stand No. 18922.
"At Zengeza 3, the creche there was converted and he has built his own house on stand No. 19057 Madyirapanze against the residents will," says the report.
The report alleges Clr Kanyama also sold for US$4 000 each recently, stands No. 31433, 31401, 19093, 19414, 19749, 31479, 31480and 31444. The council got only US$200 from each sale, with the councillor allegedly pocketing US$3800 per sale.  
The documents say Clr Tembo sold stand No 17144, 17146, 17762, 18002, 19093, 19004, 19019, 19094 and commercial stands. Some of the stands have been concealed under shelf companies and some hidden under relatives' names, the dossier says.
"He exchanged a stand with (ex-Mayor) Israel Marange for a B2200 which he is currently using," says the report. Tembo, who was the MDC district chairman in the disbanded MDC executive, is alleged to have worked in cahoots with provincial chairman only identified as Mr Magaya and another person also identified by the last name only as Marange.

Daylight robbery
Clr Mutingwende is accused of subdividing a piece of council land into four stands without approval from the surveyor general. Councillor Mtingwende and Kanyama shared the four stands two apiece, according to the report.
In another case a councillor is alleged to have received from the corrupt sale of commercial stands, a Mazda T35, Mazda 6, Mazda B22, Mercedes Benz 190E, Range Rover Discovery, Mazda 3 and a Nissan Hardbody.
"He has tarnished the image of the MDC by his daylight robbery from residence," says the report.
The alleged plunder of land and other council property by the MDC councillors comes as close to half of residents in the dormitory town live below the UN's poverty level of 1 US dollar a day, and have to contend with burst sewer, critical water shortages and general institutional collapse.
The report also details alleged corruption by Clr Urayayai, who is accused of dishing out stands to his cronies and loyalists including his church pastor, his landlord's son, identified as Mahlenwe in the papers. Urayayai is also alleged to have given a housing stand to the man who built his house, one Nyarenda, said to be the vice youth chairman for the MDC in Ward 6.

Cattle, grinding mills
The report says: "At Limbani shopping centre, he (Urayayi) corruptly sold some commercial stands to Mr Makomo of Classic Foods and Mr Gomba, one for US$7000 and another for US$6000 and he went on to buy 250 herd of cattle which we believe are in Gutu, his rural home.
“He also bought eight grinding mills and currently runs shops and butcheries in his rural home. Also recently sold are residential stand numbers 17147, 19019 and two commercial stands: 17910 and 18049."
Outraged Chitungwiza residents are charging that the new "liberators" of the town were helping themselves to the residents' resources, seemingly with impunity and with apparent disregard for ethics, morals, laws and common human decency.
"They should donate all those councillors to Zanu (PF)," said Pedzisai Ruhanya, a journalist-cum-political analyst, who is also a vocal Zengeza resident.
He said the corruption in Chitungwiza was an indication of the sick state that the country was in economically, socially, politically, adding it was surprising to see the councillors looting and destroying the town and letting the ordinary people who were tricked into voting for them live in horrible conditions and circumstances.

By The Zimbabwean