Zanu PF land baron nailed for Insiza deals

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A ZANU PF official from Insiza has been convicted on two counts of illegally selling rural resettlement land to desperate villagers.

A ZANU PF official from Insiza has been convicted on two counts of illegally selling rural resettlement land to desperate villagers.

BY SILAS NKALA

Bulawayo magistrate Merilyn Mutshina on Monday heard that Clifford Chifadze Machona, who is the ruling party’s Ward 22 chairperson, collected between $300 and $500 each from villagers before illegally allocating them resettlement plots in the Lochard Resettlement area.

Machona (60) was convicted after he was put on his own defence after his lawyer Gift Nyathi renounced agency.

He had insisted that he was authorised to distribute land in his area.

“Accused said since 2010 to 2013 he has been allocating land,” Mutshina said.

“He said he signed a memorandum of agreement in respect of the second complainant Moses Moyo out of fear.

“In evidence brought to court there was misrepresentation by accused and as a result of that he received the sum of R3 000 and $1 800.

“In rebutting the charges accused merely denied the charges saying he never allocated land to anyone.”

State charges were that on April 2 2012, Zenzo Tshabangu of Lochard went to Machona looking for a stand for his brother.

Machona demanded $500 purportedly for processing documents and registration of the stand at Insiza Rural District Council.

Tshabangu paid $300 and Machona showed him a piece of land.

Tshabangu cleared the land and built a hut.

Machona later destroyed Tshabangu’s structures and allocated the plot to another person promising to reimburse Tshabangu.

Sometime in June 2013, another villager identified as Moyo, approached Machona looking for three stands for his relatives.

Machona demanded $600 to facilitate processing of documentation and registration of the stands.

Moyo paid $1 800 for three stands to Machona who showed him pieces of land.

In September 2013, Moyo and his relatives went to the stands to develop them, but discovered they were already being developed by other people.

Moyo demanded his money back and Machona paid $180, promising to settle the balance later, but failed to honour his promise.

The victims later teamed up and reported the matter to police, leading to Machona’s arrest.Machona was remanded out of custody to today for sentence.

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