Harare Land Scandal Unfolds with Missing Title Deeds at Center of Investigation

The Harare land scandal has exposed significant gaps in the city’s management of valuable housing stands. Investigations have revealed missing title deeds, throwing the legality of land transfers into question.

Suspended town clerk Hosiah Chisango sought clarification on the authenticity of the title deeds for stands in Amby Township. The absence of these crucial documents is alarming, especially for a city battling corruption.

The Harare City Council had set up a seven-member subcommittee to probe the murky dealings surrounding the stands. Preliminary findings suggest that millions of dollars are at stake due to irregularities.

Chisango’s letter to the Registrar of Deeds requested verification of ownership for stands 154 to 166. However, the response from the registrar confirmed they could only locate information for two of the stands.

The council’s report highlighted how the missing title deeds complicate the investigation. The land in question has been classified as derelict, adding further urgency to the investigation.

What raises even more suspicion is the cluster houses already built on some of these stands, despite the unavailability of proper documentation. If the original title deeds are missing, it begs the question: How did these developments proceed?

The Registrar of Deeds’ response, delivered by L. Mukupe, showed just how thin the paper trail was. Only stands 162 and 165 had any traceable records, leaving a huge gap in the investigation for the rest of the land.

The council is now grappling with how to recover more than $2 million owed in revenue from these properties. This includes property taxes and other fees that have accumulated due to this mismanagement.

Council subcommittee chairperson Denford Ngadziore has expressed hope that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) will soon complete its investigation. There is growing pressure for the police to step in and unravel how such a large portion of land was effectively lost to the city.

The subcommittee report was damning, recommending immediate action to declare all transactions regarding these stands illegal. It further suggested referring the matter to the police and ZACC for more thorough investigations.

In light of the revelations, the council’s failure to secure the financial future of the city has become apparent. How does a city lose control of land that could have injected significant revenue into its coffers?

Land in Harare, particularly in areas like Greendale, holds substantial value, making this case even more significant. The estimated $2 million loss is a blow to the already cash-strapped city, where land deals are often tainted by corruption and mismanagement.

The involvement of external bodies like ZACC is crucial. Investigating the full extent of the scandal could expose more hidden players and possibly unravel larger systemic issues within the city’s land management department.

This incident may also set a precedent for how such cases will be handled in the future. If the title deeds remain lost or untraceable, the council will face more questions about its internal controls and procedures. The consequences could be far-reaching.

The residents of Harare are watching closely. Trust in local governance continues to erode as scandals like these come to light. The city’s response, or lack thereof, will determine whether these issues remain isolated or expose deeper cracks within the system.

The absence of key documents such as title deeds signals a larger problem that cannot be easily swept under the rug. Harare’s real estate, particularly in prime locations like Greendale, is far too valuable to be mismanaged in such a way.

As investigations continue, the pressure mounts on city officials to clean up the mess. This scandal may only be the tip of the iceberg for Harare’s housing debacles, and many wonder what other skeletons lie hidden in the council’s closet.

The missing title deeds have created an alarming gap in accountability. Without proper documentation, there is no way to guarantee ownership, further complicating an already messy situation.

The Zim Bulletin