Staff writer
The Epworth Local Authority is accusing residents’ associations in the
dormitory settlement of duping residents of their hard earned money, promising them to ‘reverse’ the Presidential Title Deeds Programme claiming the process resulted in downsizing of their residential
stands.
The residents’ associations are allegedly providing false information
to residents misleading them that the local authority deceived them by
downsizing their land using a “bogus” and “unapproved” new lay out plan.
This according to investigations despite the map being approved by the Department of Physical Planning which is under the Ministry of Local Government and National Housing and the National Surveyor General.
The residents associations which are under fire from the local authority board are Kushinga Epworth Residents Trust(KERT) and Epworth Urban Residents Association (EURA) who however could not be reached for comment.
“There are residents’ associations in Epworth namely Kushinga Epworth
Residents Trust and Epworth Urban Residents Association who are
allegedly providing false information to residents about the regurlarisation programme which is being carried out under the ED
Tittle programme, accusing the Epworth council of using a bogus map, despite the map being approved by the Surveyor General.” said Epworth Local Board Director of Housing, Dennis Muranduri.
The ED title deeds programme is meant to provide certified housing documents for illegal settlements which were not formally registered
by local councils.
Investigations have revealed that upon dishing false information to the residents, the associations are allegedly influencing the occupants of the “downsized” stands to defy the local authority’s and government’s inventiveness and inturn challenge the process at the courts.
In doing so, investigations have further revealed, the residents’ associations then instruct them to pay undisclosed amounts of money which are inflated to the purported legal
representation payments.
This has presented them with an opportunity to pocket the difference.
“At one point every individual was meant to pay US$10 for legal representation to a human rights law organisation but the resident’s
association made them pay US $90 per person, fleecing them of US$80 each,” said Muranduri.
The Presidential title deeds programme in Epworth has strengthened since its commencement last year with over 23 000 title deeds being issued in Harare’ s dormitory settlement, but Epworth local authority says it
could have reached the 30 000 figure, if there were no hindrances and delays influenced by the residents’ associations.
“We spent almost a year going to court after these residents’ associations filed pointless appeals at the court against the local authority, hence slowing down progress as operations were put on standby as we were attending to court procedures ….thereby delaying the
Presidential Entitlement Programme”, said Muranduri.
Some residents esidents who spoke to The Blast expressed anger towards the residents’ associations describing them as “phonies” who have taken advantage of people with less knowledge, mainly the elderly and the
disadvantaged, to disrupt the Presidential Title Deeds Programme in a bid to swindle people’s money after the misperception.
“This is disappointing. These people want to make easy money out of innocent people through deception, in so doing inconveniencing us by slowing down development in our area,” said one resident who spoke on
condition of anonymity fearing victimization.
The residents have called upon the government, through the Zimbabwe Republic epublic Police and the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission to investigate these organisations which have duped even disabled, widows and orphaned residents.
“We call upon the police to please assist in this sad development happening in Epworth. Less privileged persons were the most affected,”
said another resident who refused to be named.
The Epworth Local Board is raising awareness in the area informing residents to be wary of such organisations who are fleecing poor
residents of their hard earned money after misleading them on the developments at the local authority.
“We urge residents to be cautious when communicating council business
with residents’ associations, we urge them to visit the council
offices for correct and accurate information.” said Muranduri.