BULAWAYO – The Commission of Inquiry into the Sales of State Land in and around urban areas since 2005 has announced that it will start going around provinces to investigate corrupt land allocations.

The commission will investigate and ascertain the status of land transactions in the covered period in terms of ownership, occupation and development.

In a statement, the commission said it would look into “people who bought state land handed over for urban development; double or multiple allocations and those people allocated stands on space meant for the building of schools, clinics, roads recreation sites.”

The commission, in its countrywide probe, will also hear from people who have been displaced or prejudiced in any way by the allocation, resurveying and or re-pegging of stands.

“This includes people of the above category who have been threatened, harassed, victimised or forced to pay subscriptions rentals or to vacate stands against their will and without due process. Any other information pertaining to illegal state land transactions known to them,” said the commission.

The commission of inquiry advance team will tour the following six provinces during the following periods: “Manicaland from August 6 to 10; Masvingo from August 13 to 17; Matabeleland South from August 20 to 22; Bulawayo from August 23 to 29; Matabeleland North from August 29 to 30 and Midlands from September 3 to 6.”

A paper published in July 2018 titled ‘Housing and Political Land Corruption in Zimbabwe’ claimed that rural and urban land has been the main tool used by Zanu PF to shore up its waning support in urban constituencies.

The author, Farai Mutondoro, a governance and policy expert, alleged that through aligned cooperatives and land barons, the ruling party became a major player in deciding who had access to land for housing while arguing that political power is at the heart of any analysis of land-related corruption.

The seven-member Commission of Inquiry into the Sale of State Land in and around urban areas since 2005 was appointed by former President Robert Mugabe last year but they took their oaths of office in February 2018.

The Commission is chaired by Justice Tendai Uchena and includes Andrew Mlalazi, Stephen Chakaipa, Tarisai Mutangi, Heather Chingono, Vimbai Nyemba and Petronella Musarurwa, while permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Virginia Mabiza is its secretary.