Zapu revives bid to recover seized properties
Saturday, 14 January 2012 18:28
BY SILAS NKALA
ZAPU is compiling information about its properties seized by government
during political disturbances in Matabeleland and Midlands regions with a
view of instituting legal action to recover them.
The party’s secretary for legal affairs, Stephen Nkiwane, last week said
they have made significant progress in the probe.
Zapu leader Dumiso Dabengwa, whose members pulled out of the Unity Accord in
2009, last year said their investigations had established that the Zanu PF
government had sold most of the party’s properties.
“We are compiling data on the properties and our process is at an advance
stage,” said Nkiwane. “After we finish the compilation, we will then take
either a legal or political action depending on how the respondents will
behave.”
Zapu and Zipra properties were seized by Zanu PF government after
independence during Gukurahundi Operation in Matabeleland and Midlands
regions, which resulted in an estimated 20 000 people being killed.
Some of the Zapu properties that are still under the control of the
government include Magnet House in Bulawayo, which houses the regional
headquarters of the Central Intelligence Organisation and Castle Arms Motel,
also in Bulawayo.
In Harare there is a property, Snake Park, among others.
After the Unity Accord in 1987, the Zanu PF government refused to hand over
the properties.
Nkiwane said some properties were in third parties’ hands, a situation which
was delaying the process of getting them back.