The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube
TWO ward councillors and 27 village heads in Insiza North constituency in Matabeleland South Province have been sucked into a land scandal where they allegedly pocketed over half a million dollars through the illegal sale of land.
In the alleged scam, the clique was reportedly selling land for amounts ranging between $600 and $1 000 or for a single beast, at Lochard just outside Mbembesi.
The land row has also sucked in Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Cde Andrew Langa who, according to reports, will officially open a dam and the stands that were sold under unclear circumstances.
Cde Langa is the Member of the National Assembly for Insiza North Constituency under which the area falls.
Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Abedinico Ncube confirmed the scandal, saying his office was investigating the matter.
“We are aware of that issue (illegal selling of land) but we are still investigating the matter, until a point where we have all the details I cannot comment much,” said Cde Ncube.
The chief of the area, Chief Jahana, also confirmed the matter saying he was greatly disappointed by people who were meant to be leaders but went on to throw the name of Zanu-PF into disrepute.
“These people have been selling stands in the name of Zanu-PF. People who bought the land were told that it was the directive from the party that people should buy the land. We know for a fact and the party telling people that they should sell the land.
“To the best of my knowledge at Lochard there were meant to be 249 stands but now there are over 3 000 stands. This issue was also confirmed by the people there during a meeting I held with them on 4 March, where they clearly stated that they bought stands from headmen and councillors. I have a document which shows that people got a lot of money from selling stands,” said the chief.
Contacted for comment on his pending official opening of the illegal stands and the dam, Cde Langa while confirming the event, said the underhand selling of the stands was a different matter to be handled at a different platform.
“I am aware that there is a dam I should commission on 10 April. The dam was built by villagers and J R Goddard.
That is a good development which also supports our economic development. The issue that there are people who are not supposed to be there is a separate issue.
“However, as Government we have been clear that the land should not be sold. If there are allegations that there are people who are selling land, the law should take its course. As the Member of Parliament of that area, I strongly don’t support such a bad act. We went to war and fought for the liberation of the country so that people can get land. The land should be given to people free. No one should buy the land,” said Cde Langa.
Impeccable sources within the district land committee revealed that Ward 22 and 23 councillors, Clrs Edith Gumbo and Felistus Sibanda were at the forefront of leading the illegal sale of the land and were threatening anyone who voiced their concern that they were “untouchable” as neither the police nor the ruling party Zanu-PF could stop them.
However, Clr Gumbo reportedly went behind the backs of her accomplices and compiled a list of people she alleged were behind the scam.
According to the list compiled by Clr Gumbo, Headman Elliot Sibanda allegedly sold 300 stands in Jama Village, of which he pocketed $180 000, while Mr Kunana Dladla from Insango Village allegedly created a non-existent village where he sold 100 stands for a combined value of $60 000.
The list also implicates a total of 27 village heads who got amounts ranging from $6 000 to $30 000.
In some instances the clique would also sell the stands to two different people resulting in double or even triple allocation.
Sunday News also managed to interview a number of aggrieved individuals who claimed they were having a hard time in the area, with the councillors teaming up with the village heads to continually threaten them.
Mr Moses Moyo, who confirmed having bought land from Clr Gumbo, said he had been a victim of double allocation of which he was now struggling to get either a refund or alternative land.
“I bought three stands for my relatives for $600 each. When they went to the area they were told that the land had been sold to other occupants. When I tried getting a refund of the $1 800 I was given just $180 and was told the difference had been shared among four different people.
“Ever since then I have tried every trick possible to get my money. I even have made three reports to the police but like they have always boasted the police never do anything to them. We now have reached a point where we cannot even trust our own police or even seek protection from them,” said Mr Moyo.
When a Sunday News crew visited Clr Gumbo’s homestead a couple of weeks ago, she reacted by threatening the crew with two men who appeared to be her “bodyguards”, threatening to impound their car and beat up the news crew for interfering in issues that did not involve them.
“If you don’t leave me alone I will tell these men to beat you. You don’t know where I come from and how I was born. You cannot just come here and ask me your useless questions; I don’t know anything about the land. Land was allocated through politics. What I know is that all people who are here came through the District Administrator’s office,” said Clr Gumbo.
However, Insiza District Administrator Mrs Sithandiwe Ndumo-Ncube fingered Clr Gumbo in the alleged scam saying the villagers should stand up, name and shame, so that corruption could be weeded out.
“I am surprised at what she is saying. I personally have never sold land to anyone, after all the land issue is being handled by the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement. People must not fear anyone, they must stand up and give us the names of these people who are selling land,” said Mrs Ndumo-Ncube.
Sunday News also tracked down Clr Sibanda who distanced herself from the land scandal, saying she was not aware of any scam in the area.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. I cannot sell the land,” she said.
Mr Sibanda who was implicated by Clr Gumbo in her list distanced himself and threw the buck back at Clr Gumbo and Clr Sibanda, saying he had no powers whatsoever to sell land.
“Even the people during a district lands committee meeting mentioned two councillors, Clrs Gumbo and Sibanda not me, they are the people who sold land not me, I cannot sell any land because I have no power at all to do that,” he said.
Mrs Ntombikayise Ncube, a villager in the area, said they were now sick of Clr Gumbo and her cabal, who she said were running their own pseudo regime in the area, doing as they willed and threatening anyone who was believed to be opposing them.
“When we voice our concern we are told we are members of the MDC-T. They give us all sorts of threats and boast that no one can deal with them. It is disappointing that these people have now divided us, while we are all Zanu-PF members, it is now as if we are from different parties.
“However, what we have said is that we know the law clearly states that selling land is illegal hence what these people are doing is illegal, we won’t tire from trying to expose them. They now have created their own villages in places that were originally meant to be grazing paddocks, in some cases they even have sold part of our own pieces of land,” said Mrs Ncube.
This latest scam comes just a couple of months after Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Joel Biggie Matiza threatened to expel 20 village headmen from Seke implicated in illegal allocation of over 5 000 stands.
