Herald Correspondent
The commission of inquiry into the sale of State land in urban areas is appealing to Zimbabweans to come forward with information that might assist in effectively carrying out its mandate. In a statement on Monday, the secretary to the Commission of Inquiry Mrs Virginia Mabiza said any such information maybe submitted to the Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.

Mrs Mabiza is also the Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
“Following the promulgation by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, of Statutory Instrument 11 of 2018 (Amendment of Proclamation 4 of 2017), amending Statutory Instrument 102 of 2017 (Proclamation 4 of 2017), which established a Commission of Inquiry into the sale of State Land in and around urban areas since 2005, the President swore in a six-member Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the sale of State Land in and around urban areas since 2005 in terms Section 2 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act (Chapter 10:07), on the 1st day of February 2018,” she said.

Pursuant to the swearing in of the Commissioners, the Commission of Inquiry officially commenced hearings from February 19, 2018.

The Commission of Inquiry will be held for a period of 12 months from the date of swearing in of the Commissioners and shall, among other functions: conduct visitations and hearings after summoning witnesses and record proceedings and minute testimonies where necessary.

Any person or institution with information which may be of assistance to the Commission of Inquiry may forward such information to the secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, who is also the secretary to the Commission of Inquiry.

The information include irregularities on allocation of land, including requests for bribes, queries on payments made to land developers or housing cooperatives, queries on status of development of such land, double allocations/questionable allocations and queries on stand sizes; and any other irregularities concerning such allocated land.

Standard complaints forms will be available from the Commission of Inquiry, situated at Harare Club, Mezzanine Floor, Corner 3rd Street/Nelson Mandela Ave, said Mrs Mabiza.

The Commission of Inquiry kindly requests maximum possible cooperation from the Zimbabwean public and institutions during the period which it will be undertaking its business.

Should anyone wish to attend the hearing sessions, the Commission of Inquiry normally sits from Monday to Wednesday every week, at the Harare Club, 1st Floor, Corner 3rd Street/Nelson Mandela Ave.