Rusape Town Council chairman Alderman Amon Chawasarira has said businessman Mr Basil Nyabadza has sold the remainder of Rocking Stone Farm (891 hectares) to local bank CBZ Limited for $3,5 million.
Alderman Chawasarira lashed out at Mr Nyabadza, saying he personally stood to gain financially at the expense of Rusape residents.
“He has created a crisis whose victims are the poor residents of Rusape. This is quite simply unacceptable,” said Alderman Chawasarira.
Contacted for comment, Mr Nyabadza said he was in a meeting.
“I am in a meeting; can you call me in the afternoon?” said Nyabadza.
Several attempts to get through to him were fruitless. The businessman has been arguing that Rocking Stone was a private property and has been communicating with RTC on behalf of ECR Mordit (Pvt) LTD.
The sale was done through a consortium comprising Mr Nyabadza, Mr Norman Sachikonye and Mr Kenneth Charles Ziehl.
The bank, through its lawyers Mawere and Sibanda Legal Practitioners, on September 18 wrote to the local authority seeking assistance in the transfer of registration of the remainder of Rocking Stone Farm from ECR Mordit (Pvt) Ltd.
“We are attending to the transfer of the above property and request your rates clearance certificate to enable us to prepare our transfer documents. We advise as follows:
“The seller is recorded as ECR Mordit (Pvt) Limited of 16982, Sande Crescent, Avondale, Harare (Nyabadza’s residential address). The purchaser is recorded as CBZ Limited of 60 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, Harare. The property description is the remainder of Rocking Stone, held under deed of transfer 6653/99 dated 30th day of June, 1999 measuring 891, 3761 hectares,” reads part of the letter from the lawyers.
CBZ chief executive corporate affairs Mrs Gwatiringa was not readily available for a comment as she was said to be attending a training workshop.
“Mrs Gwatiringa is not in the office and she is the rightful person to comment on such issues. She is attending a workshop,” said Rudo Mushoni, who answered the phone.
Alderman Chawasarira argued that his council refused to co-operate, citing dispute in the ownership of the farm, but transfer of the property to the bank was granted on January 14, 2014 under deed of transfer Number 45/2014.
As a result of the clash of strategic business interests and personalities the two parties no longer see eye-to-eye, and RTC has since sought the intervention of the Zanu-PF Manicaland leadership.
“We have petitioned the Zanu-PF leadership in Manicaland led by Ambassador Dr John Mvundura to take up the matter politically.
“He came here with the new Deed of Transfer 45/2014 that was processed on January 14, 2014. It is shocking how and who facilitated it in the absence of rates clearance.
“It appears while we are making noise on the ground, some filthy deals are happening in some higher offices,” said Alderman Chawasarira.
Dr Mvundura said he was not fully vested with the matter.
Zanu-PF Manicaland commissariat James Kaunye confirmed the council’s approach.
“It is true that council is seeking political assistance over that matter. The chairman is seized with the issue though it has not been discussed. The issue is still being looked into and we are not certain how it will come to an end,” said Kaunye. Manica Post
