HARARE – Harare’s director of works Isaiah Zvenyika Chawatama appeared in court on Friday accused of failing to seek ministerial approval for change of use on a vacant piece of land in Monavale.
The 55-year-old is accused, along with Samuel Nyabezi who is allegedly on the run, of converting a piece of land reserved for motorway expansion into 12 residential stands.
Chawatama was released on Z$20,000 bail following a brief appearance before Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga on charges of criminal abuse of office. He will next appear in court on August 23.
The court heard that Chawatama’s duties include supervising the city planner who is in charge of creating layout plans and applying to the ministry of local government for consent to convert reserved open spaces to residential stands, before such stands are sold to beneficiaries.
The National Prosecuting Authority says on February 16, 2017, the city planner Nyabezi created a layout plan to create 12 residential stands and a police station at Subdivision C, Portion of Strathaven C at corner Quendon/Lyndhurst Road in Monavale.
The land, according to prosecutors, had been reserved for road expansion.
Chawatama unlawfully and contrary to his duties omitted to seek the minister’s consent, the prosecution charges.
It is also alleged Nyabezi approved the layout plan without submitting it to the Environmental Management Committee for recommendations, and also failed to present it to the full council meeting for approval.
On December 17, 2019, Chawatama allegedly connived with Nyabezi and misrepresented facts to the city’s finance department causing the stands to be sold to beneficiaries who put down Z$50,000 each as deposit.
