The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has issued a stern warning to land barons in the country saying his Government has instituted an inquiry and will soon deal decisively with some of these people as part of efforts to bring sanity within urban and rural councils.
Speaking during a star rally held at White City Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday, the President said he had since received a report of land barons in Harare saying Government would soon be descending on urban and rural authorities in the country to bring to book those who were exploiting desperate home seekers.
“It is unfortunate that we have had the proliferation of land barons in the country. These land barons have been busy ripping our people across the board. I must, however, warn them that we have instituted an inquiry into our urban and rural council, of which I have received an interim report for Harare alone and it’s terrible. I now know who are the land barons, their addresses, and their cellphone numbers and how much they have stolen. So the day of Armageddon is coming to them soon. It is not only Harare but also other cities and councils,” said the President.
He further revealed that the Government was now moving ahead with the Command Housing Programme where they were going to focus on building a more modern Zimbabwe, with orderly houses being constructed.
“I guess you have all seen that we now have a programme for Command Housing. We now want to have a housing programme that is designed for a modern Zimbabwe where in some places we build going up while in others we continue as we are doing but well planned, decent and modern housing with the necessary services provided,” said President Mnangagwa.
Meanwhile, the President took a swipe at the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) for cutting water supplies to the White City Stadium in a bid to frustrate a star rally by the ruling party. The issue was initially brought to the attention of the President by the Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chairperson, Professor Callistus Ndlovu, who revealed that the toilets were closed at the venue because the local authority, which owns the stadium, had cut water supplies. The President described the move by the MDC-T run local authority as being nonsensical urging the people to avoid voting for the opposition in the upcoming harmonised elections.
“I am disappointed by urban councils, most urban councils have gone to waste, the roads are poor, service delivery is poor, just today I am being informed that the Bulawayo City Council has stopped water at this place (White City), what nonsense is that?
“The power of the councillors and the powers of council come from the people, so you are the people and they deny you water, the very people who put them in council, what nonsense are they doing? Take them out,” said President Mnangagwa.
Contacted for comment on the reasons of the water cuts to the stadium, Bulawayo Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said it was not a water cut but the Magwegwe Reservoir, which supplies the area where the stadium is located, had low water levels resulting in low pressure leading to the disruption of water supplies to the stadium.
“I am in the process of producing a report on what really transpired today (yesterday) but what I can tell you is that Magwegwe Reservoir is down hence the pressure was low,” said Mr Dube.
