By Correspondent
Both ZANU-PF and CCC rolled out gimmicky programs to grow their urban support in the run-up to the 2023 elections new information shows.
The new revelations came out during the ongoing Harare Commission of Inquiry hearings in the capital.
Giving evidence Council Audit Chairperson Cllr Blessing Duma revealed this.
The Chamisa Directive
Duma said the CCC contingent of Cllrs in Council was directed to regularise more illegal settlements by its then leader Nelson Chamisa.
As a result at 349 illegal housing cooperatives were hurriedly regularised.
The opposition politician added that only cooperatives with well-known members affiliated with Zanu PF were targeted for demolition and denied regularisation.
Meanwhile, those with prominent CCC members were spared and granted regularisation.
The Kuwadzana Paddock stands were cited as an example.
According to Duma a section occupied by war veterans from Zanu PF was not regularised.
Meanwhile, an adjacent area illegally occupied by CCC members was granted regularisation.
“My only plea to this commission is to assist us in resurrecting Harare City Council.
“It is dead and needs to be resurrected, not revived, because it’s dead,” he said.
The idea behind the gimmicks was the increase in opposition numbers for the 2023 elections.
The ZANU PF Equivalent
Meanwhile, ZANU PF also rolled out its own title deeds program launched by President Mnangagwa in Epworth.
Mnangagwa promised to dole out more than 11 000 title deeds to Epworth residents a month before the polls.
Meanwhile, Cabinet endorsed the Kwangu/Ngakwami Presidential Title Deeds Programme Consortium.
The programme was expected to provide financial and technical support required for the issuance of the title deeds.
Mnangagwa followed up handing out 265 securitised title deeds to Epworth residents.
He pledged to avail more as he launched the programme at Epworth High School.
However, since then only a handful of people with close ties to the ruling Zanu PF party received the title deeds.
The Zanu PF government appears to have abandoned the project post-election.
Speaking on the matter Epworth North MP Zivai Mhetu has laid out a formal process which needs to be followed first.
Mhetu was quoted saying residents could only receive deeds of grant and would only get title deeds after completion of development.
“There is a difference between deed of grant and a title deed.
“Development has to take place first, for instance the installation of roads, among others.
For the thousands in the urban areas the script reads familiar as politicians have been playing the same trick for many years.
Not much will happen until the next elections beckon.
