THE scandal-ridden Municipality of Chegutu has produced a damning report alleging that controversial Zanu PF councillor and deputy mayor Pheneas Mariyapera acquired 50 houses and stands worth millions in a well-orchestrated scam that could drag in senior government and ruling party provincial officials in Mashonaland West. The report, dated June 29 2004 and sent to Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo on July 5 2004, was compiled by the acting town clerk, Marufu Chigwenzi Zinyowera, after residents and council workers had queried the continued decline of services in the town. Mariyapera, who is said to have the backing of Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial bigwigs, was implicated in an earlier report by a government task force as the chief culprit behind the disappearance of funds from the council’s drying coffers as well as the abuse of $150 million in ratepayers’ money.

On the acquisition of council stands and houses, the report said it was common knowledge that most of the houses had not been paid for in the normal way. “The deputy mayor has in his name 23 houses/stands. In addition, there are at least 27 others registered under his family name – Vhurumundu,” the report said. “There is wanton disregard for municipal by-laws with respect to the location of buildings. The extent of interference in management and nepotism is highlightedwhich shows the list of Mariyapera’s relatives employed by the Municipality of ChegutuAll of these buildings belong to the deputy mayor and his circle of friends who openly boast that Chegutu is their turf.” Zinyowera said there was an additional list of Mariyapera’s friends currently being compiled. “The final proven figure of stands and houses owned by the clique is staggering, taking into account the size of Chegutu. “Unless the above areas are redressed decisively, no amount of recapitalisation will bring normalcy to the Municipality of Chegutu,” the report said. “There is need for the party (Zanu PF) to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into the above and other areas of concern,” it said.

According to the damning report, Zinyowera said to bring normalcy back to the Chegutu Town Council, issues that needed urgent attention included greed in the acquisition of property and stands by councillors and council employees and strategic recruitment and placement of workers with criminal intents leading to the abuse of the home ownership scheme. Other burning issues, the report said, included the wanton destruction and conversion of municipal capital equipment to personal use by councillors and nepotism in the recruitment and promotion for council workers and defeating the course of justice by protecting criminals. Efforts to get comments from Chombo’s office proved fruitless.

Source: ZWNEWS.com