Chinhoyi– Chinhoyi Town Council is under scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of municipal properties, with investigations revealing that politically connected individuals and Zanu PF officials have been occupying municipal properties without paying rentals, resulting in significant loss of revenue for the financially struggling authority.
A visit to the council premises revealed informal foreign currency dealers operating openly, while residents were being forced to pay 50 cents to access private toilets leased from the council.
Councillors disclosed that the public toilets were being leased out to private operators due to the municipality’s failure to manage them.
Other properties under similar arrangements include houses, recreational facilities, and beer halls.
NewsHublaunched an investigation into the leasing of council properties in the Mashonaland West capital, which has been struggling to gain city status for years.
This publication established that the council owns a significant property portfolio, including 26 houses in high-density areas, 3 in medium-density, 5 in low-density areas, 63 single quarters, 19 staff quarters, 124 one-roomed shops, and 8 beer halls in Gadzema, Chikonohono, Alaska, and Shackleton.
Most of these assets are either underutilised or occupied by individuals and organisations not paying rent, many of them with links to Zanu PF.
Without comprehensive lease agreements and a system to enforce payments, the council continues to lose potential revenue, exacerbating its inability to meet obligations such as paying its 400-member workforce, who have reportedly gone unpaid for 10 months.
Findings revealed that many of the named beneficiaries are linked to the ruling Zanu PF party and are allegedly occupying municipal properties without lease agreements or payment of rental fees.
At the Gwayagwaya bus terminus, a shop reportedly leased to Zanu PF for use as the Makonde district office has not generated income for the council for over four decades.
The property, expected to yield US$75 per month in rental income, has cost the council an estimated US$20,000 in unpaid dues since 1980.
Currently, the property is being used by a tenant identified as Tawanda Nzou, as a paid storage facility for traders and welders.
Source: NewsHub Zimbabwe
Source: NewsHub Zimbabwe
