Chinhoyi Bureau
Makonde District lands officer James Gavanga has been arrested for allegedly demanding a beast as reward from a desperate land seeker to facilitate papers for him to get an A2 resettlement plot.
Gavanga (47) has since appeared before Chinhoyi magistrate Miss Patience Chirimo, facing charges of criminal abuse of office as a public officer in contravention of Section 147 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

He was remanded to June 18 on $100 bail by Magistrate Chirimo and ordered to report once every fortnight at Chinhoyi CID Law and Order, warning him against interfering with witnesses.

Prosecutor Ms Barbara Mabika said sometime in 2012, Gavanga allegedly demanded a reward before processing an offer letter for Benjamin Chirenje.
Chirenje had applied for land at the lands office sometime in 2006 and Gavanga was said to have received the application.

He allegedly demanded a reward to process the application and Chirenje promised him a beast.
Six years down the line, Gavanga processed an offer letter for a plot at Plateau Farm in Mhangura, which he allegedly personally served Chirenje.

Chirenje then gave Gavanga a brown and black bull which records show was procedurally cleared at Mhangura Police Station under ZRP Livestock Clearance Certificate Form 392, number 0836654 and Clearance Register 1480/12.

The matter came to light when on Thursday last week, a National Lands Inspectorate team gathered information that Gavanga had demanded and received a beast to process an offer letter for Chirenje.