President Emmerson Mnangagwa has blocked Zanu PF party bigwigs from extorting illegal settlers in Harare South.
Some Zanu PF provincial members were conducting an unsanctioned regularisation programme, demanding US$50 and US$70 from over 150 000 illegal settlers in the constituency.
They stood to pocket over US$7.5 million in cash,
Sources said the Zanu PF members were name-dropping Mnangagwa to intimidate the settlers and justify the scam.
The Harare South block comprises Hunyani constituency, Harare South (popularly known in Zanu PF circles as the V-Belt and Churu constituencies with over 150 000 households, mostly ruling party supporters who were illegally settled during elections.
The exercise was reportedly being carried out by Zanu PF Harare province and led by the political commissar in the Harare district coordinating commissariat, Reclief Chikwenhure.
In a letter dated September 11, 2024 and addressed to one Mvuraipenya of Churu constituency, secretary for provincial affairs and devolution in the Office of the President and Cabinet in Harare Metropolitan province Cosmas Chiringa ordered a halt to the bogus verification exercise.
“My office received numerous complaints regarding the unsanctioned regularisation exercise in Harare South,”part of the letter reads.
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“Kindly be advised that Harare Metropolitan province has nothing to do with any so-called regularisation exercises in the area. Neither did the province engage any organisation, individual or group of people to carry out such.
“The office is not responsible for regularisation of informal settlements, but for the monitoring, coordination, and supervision of government projects and programmes in Harare Metropolitan province.”
Chiringa said they had engaged the Zanu PF provincial office to put a stop to such activities taking place in their constituency.
“Please note that such cases are to be reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police for arrest and prosecution,” Chiringa wrote.
Residents were coerced into paying for a promise of regularisation of the illegal settlements or face eviction if they failed to pay the US$50.
The Standard gathered that the intention behind the scheme was not only to fleece vulnerable residents, but also to build a database of information to be used during Zanu PF’s restructuring efforts.
The programme is also aimed at exploiting residents’ personal details, and creating a tool for Zanu PF to manipulate and control the electorate.
Chaos erupted recently as Zanu PF youth, posing as local government ministry officials, were blocked by some opposition activists in the area from collecting US$50 fees from desperate residents after they questioned the legality of the operation.
