Chitungwiza runs out of land

Chitungwiza Municipality has ran out of space for residential, recreational, and industrial development, and is looking to expand onto nearby property in Manyame Rural District Council. Wycliff Mutambanengwe, the master plan's chief planner, revealed the information during engagement meetings with Chitungwiza people. Chitungwiza Municipality's compromised physical planning and housing systems have allowed land barons to thrive in the dormitory town over time.

The local government has been fighting land invasions and illegal boundary alterations on existing properties, losing significant swaths of land as a result. "The population boom in the town brought by development led to a shortage of land in Chitungwiza," Mutambanengwe said. "For development, we need to consider six farms across Nyatsime as part of our master plan."

Former Zanu PF ward 3 councillor John Matiyenga stated that the council needed to expand beyond the Chitungwiza boundaries. "We no longer have land for development here in Chitungwiza and we support the idea of expanding into Manyame Rural District Council."

Mutambanengwe stated that the master plan would be effective until 2034. Chitungwiza Municipality is racing against time to achieve the master plan submission deadline of June 30. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has directed all 92 local councils to develop master plans by the end of this month in an effort to halt the spread of unplanned settlements. Meanwhile, appearing during public hearings held by the panel of inquiry in Harare yesterday, Local Government ministry finance adviser Thompson Marufu stated that the council's business units were last audited in 2019.

This made HCC's business operations, such as City Parking, exposed to theft and corruption. "City Parking was founded about 2013, but the Memorandum of Understanding was first drafted in 2022. "The financial adviser did not see it," Marufu explained. “The ministry advised them to utilise their office space but they are still hiring. Twenty percent is meant to be paid for asset rent, but without transparency and accountability, it's difficult to know how much they take in from collections."

It was also revealed that the council allegedly entered into dodgy partnerships with regional parking providers in South Africa, including Park Rite Africa and Smart Park Africa. The auditors expressed worry about a US$908 000 payment made to Smart Park Africa, as well as the disappearance of a US$400,000 payment to Park Rite.