By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |
President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday fumed at Saviour Kasukuwere, the Local Government minister, for allegedly selling land meant for Zanu PF youths to Walter Magaya, the head of the Prophetic, Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries, among others.
Magaya, a popular “prophet’ who was recently arrested for reportedly raping a university student and will soon re-appear in court, has been on a land buying spree ostensibly to build houses for his congregants.
He has already pledged some 20,000 housing units in Harare and Mutare.
Mugabe confronted Kasukuwere just before he went into a high profile Zanu PF meeting at the ruling party headquarters and directly accused him of diverting land meant to build houses for youths and reselling it to Magaya.
The president recently allotted 1,000 hectares in peri-urban Harare to party youths, who are increasingly becoming his foot soldiers after war veterans dumped him.
“What is happening with the issue of stands? I have heard that you are selling (the housing stands I gave to the youths) to people like Magaya,” charged Mugabe.
Kasukuwere, however, tried to wiggle out of the surprising attack and accused the media of writing lies about him.
“No Shef (boss), the media was struggling for something to write. There is nothing like that. I am the responsible minister and nothing like that ever happened,” said Kasukuwere.
But Mugabe was not taking the young minister’s words, and hit back: “No, no! I am hearing that you sold land to the likes of Magaya. You have sold the land, period!”
Reports indicate that the party youths were nudged out of the land availed by Mugabe, with Magaya being the biggest beneficiary while some has gone to companies owned by top politicians.
The land offer to the youths, according to the government-controlled media, was mysteriously withdrawn and the plots allocated to various companies with links to Zanu PF politicians, among them Betty Kaseke, Sarah Mahoka, Innocent Hamandishe and Shadreck Mashayamombe.
Magaya’s Planet Africa is said to have signed a memorandum of agreement with the ministry for 300ha and paid his firm paid a deposit of US$100 000 on August 10.
On August 17, Minister Kasukuwere withdrew all offer letters except for Planet Africa. Nehanda Radio
