Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Chombo gags media over Harare land deals

Chombo gags media over Harare land deals
by Lebo Nkatazo
14/04/2010 00:00:00

LOCAL Government Minister Ignatius Chombo has ordered the media barred from disciplinary hearings against six MDC-T Harere councillors accused of misconduct over a report linking the minister and businessman Phillip Chiyangwa to corrupt land deals.

Chombo hand-picked a probe team led by Harare lawyer Pisirayi Kwenda to investigate the councillors whom he and Chiyangwa accuse of “criminal defamation” after a damning council report into their alleged corrupt activities was leaked to the media.

The MDC-T has dismissed the probe as a self-cleansing exercise by Chombo, while demanding a police-led investigation into irregular land deals highlighted by the councillors in their report.

Kwenda’s team, given a week to conclude its probe, turned away journalists on Monday and Tuesday based on Chombo’s directions that the hearings be held in-camera.

The minister’s move will do little to dispel fears of a cover up given that similar misconduct hearings, like the 2004 probe which Chombo used to axe the Elias Mudzuri-led MDC council, were conducted in the open.

The councillors, in their 54-page report entitled “Special Investigations Committee’s Report on City of Harare’s Land Sales, Leases and Exchanges From The Period October 2004 to December 2009” accused Chombo of irregularly allocating himself 20 hectares of land, and dozens of houses and stands.

Chiyangwa was also accused of conspiring with the Sekesai Makwavarara-led commission which ran the city following Mudzuri’s ouster to grab himself vast tracts of prime council land.

Chiyangwa and Chombo both forcefully deny the charges. Property tycoon Chiyangwa has threatened to sue the Harare City Council, insisting that his land acquisitions were above board.

Labels: HARARE, IGNATIUS CHOMBO, LAND RIGHTS, MDC CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 2:18 PM