Report by Andwatch Mambo
A Chitungwiza City Council officer has been sent on forced leave on allegations of fueling the proliferation of fake offer letters which are being sold to unsuspecting home-seekers.
The local authority has not issued a single offer letter since November 2019 as it is currently under an embargo.
“It has come to our attention that there are several Offer Letters that are being generated purportedly in the name of Mr Alex Mukwewa,” said Chitungwiza Acting Mayor Kiven Mutimbanyoka.
“The majority of these Offer Letters are being backdated and are being fraudulently offered without the authority of The Council,” he added.
He urged the public to guard against entertaining Offer Letters issued in the name of Alex Mukwewa.
“As at the 1st of October 2020, Mr Mukwewa was sent on forced leave following alleged criminal abuse of office charges as a public officer. The charges arose from land related issues and are still pending before the Courts. Further be warned that, Chitungwiza Municipality will not be held responsible for any Offer Letters or allocations that were and are still being fraudulently acquired,” Mutimbanyoka said.
“Such Offer Letters are null and void. Most of these Offer Letters are double allocations, created on top of sewer lines, wetlands, and electrical power lines and road servitudes.”
The Council said it is in the process of verifying all land allocations that were issued from 2019 to date and they are subject to approval in terms of the law.
Furthermore, the municipality has also withdrawn all date-stamps that were being previously used.
Council procedures in terms of stands allocation which we ordinarily expect, all prospective stands beneficiaries should follow.
In case of Residential Stands the following procedures should be followed: –
1.) Join The Council waiting list
2.) Interviews and mutual agreement, the beneficiary to pay the required deposit for the for the
stand within 3 months
3.) Director Housing makes recommendation to Housing Committee.
4.) Full Council Resolution
5.) Issuance of Offer Letters after making the required deposit
6.) Signing of lease agreement forms after paying stand servicing fees and an agreed part of
the lease fees.
In terms of Commercial, Industrial and institutional stands, the following procedures shall be
followed: –
1. Application including project proposal and proof of Capital
All stands allocations that were done without following the procedures as highlighted above shall
be subject to Council ratification as well as compliance to section152(2) of the Urban Council’s
Act (Chapter29:15). Furthermore, where allocations were done on site plans that are yet to be
approved in terms of section 43 of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act (Chapter 29:12),
such layouts shall be submitted to the Director Physical Planning for approval. Thereafter, The
Council shall then proceed to process the leases.