Land commission descends on Midlands

BY STEPHEN CHADENGA

THE Land Commission, chaired by Justice Tendai Uchena, will on Monday start making inquiries into the sale of State land in and around the Midlands province dating back to 2005, a senior government official has said.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs permanent secretary Virginia Mabiza, who is secretary to the commission, said they would be in the province from June 10 to June 28, to gather public views on double or multiple allocations, allocation of stands on spaces meant for schools, clinics, roads, recreational sites, wetlands and open spaces, among others.

“The commission shall commence its inquiries in Midlands province by conducting site visits to farms, locations or urban State land units,” she said in a statement.

“After site visits, the commission will hear government officials, local authorities, land developers and homeseekers who purchased stands and beneficiaries of urban State land from June 14 to 28, 2019.”

She said the sites that would be visited include Lot 73 of Umsungwe Block, Hertfordshire (Phase 1 and 2), Lot 1 of 5A West Gwelo Block and Belton of Clysdale (Tatenda Park), Subdivision 4 of Gwelo Small Holdings (Woodlands), Adelaide Park in Senga, Mkoba 12 Infill, portion of Central Estates in Mvuma, Mabula in Zvishavane and Makgakooshla in Shurugwi.

In March, at a devolution workshop in Gweru, Local Government minister July Moyo warned land developers in the Midlands province that the long arm of the law would soon catch up with those allocating residential stands on unsuitable sites such as wetlands.