Maridadi says Msindo and Mutodi are allocating land illegally

Mabvuku-Tafara legislator James Maridadi says two well known Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front sympathisers, Obadiah Msindo and Energy Mutodi, are allocating land illegally on Caledonia Farm.

Seconding a motion by fellow Movement for Democratic Change legislator for Zengeza East Alexio Musundire on illegal structures, Maridadi said those who were allocating land illegally must be arrested especially now that the government was planning to demolish all illegal structures.

He said that although a number of people that were allocating land illegally had been arrested, some were still free and were continuing to dish out land.

“For example, we have organisations such as Destiny for Africa, which is still operating in Caledonia under the patronage of Obadiah Msindo who is still allocating housing units. Even though Government is battling to give people land in a proper manner we still have another organisation whose political affiliation we all know, which is in the process of allocating land illegally,” he said.

“On the other hand, Government is saying we do not want illegal structures. There is the case of Mr. Energy Mutodi, a musician who also participated in the primary elections on a ZANU PF ticket, fortunately, he lost. He is also a land baron…..”

Maridadi said Caledonia now had about 60 000 whose properties were likely to be demolished. He said it would be better for the government to regularise the situation instead of demolishing these structures.

He also queried the number of people that the government is planning to settle under its economic recovery programme, Zim Asset, saying there was something wrong with this figure because this was the same number of people that the government wanted to settle nearly a decade ago according to a book that he had read.

“If you look at the number of housing units that this book is talking about, they are 1.25 million houses, Zim Asset is talking about 1.25 million houses and I think that there is a bit of a disconnection that, in 2004, we needed 1.25 million housing units, and in 2013, we still need 1.25 million housing units.

“My point is that, Caledonia in 2004, was a settlement of about 10 000 people. Caledonia Farm in 2013, is a settlement of an excess of 60 000 people. So, the figure of 1.25 million housing units, I do not know where Zim Asset is taking it from because the book here which is an authority is also talking about the same number, that of five years ago.”

One of the people, Musundire fingered while presenting his motion, Fredrick Mabamba, has since been suspended as a councillor for Chitungwiza.

Below is Maridadi’s full contribution.

MR. MARIDADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to second the motion by Hon. Musundire on the issue of illegal structures, their demolition and remedial action.

When the mover of the motion, Hon. Musundire was talking about Namibia and South Africa, what he was basically doing was looking at the World Best Practice. What are other nations doing on issues of housing, illegal structures and remedial action.

I will quote from Zim Asset; “Zim Asset was formulated in pursuit of a new trajectory of accelerated economic growth and wealth creation”.

The mover of the motion talks about pro-poor. I have a book here entitled ‘Beyond the Enclave Towards a pro-poor and Inclusive development Strategy for Zimbabwe’, written and edited by Zimbabweans. I will quote from this book, ‘the housing finance system has not been sustainable as it relied heavily on loosely defined and inadequate Government budget allocation.

In 2004, the Government came up with the National Housing Delivery Programme; Zimbabwe 2003 which was a plan of action aimedat: (1) clearing the urban housing backlog by the year 2008, which was expected to have increased to 1 250 000, acquiring 310 406 hectares of peri-urban land to achieve the planned target.

Mr. Speaker, Zim Asset was written this year. It says the Government was presented with a Tibaijuka Report; I am taking you back to history for the benefit of Hansard so that when I talk about what the Government says in the Zim Asset, you can have a holistic understanding of what I am talking about. It says that after our Government was presented with the Tibaijuka report, a commitment was made to provide 1.2 million houses at a staggering cost of US$325 million by 2008.

We are now in 2013. Achievement, as projected by Zim Asset would be propelled largely by the judicious exploitation of the country’s abundant human and natural resources. Zim Asset, Section 2.15 provides that the country faces a housing backlog estimated at 1.25 million units due to the rising demand in urban areas as a consequence of the land reform programme.

The reason I am referring to Zim Asset, to the Tibaijuka Report and to this book, is that the housing units that Government has been battling with ever since 2004, are 1.25 million housing units. These units are to be provided at a cost of US$325 million.

Mr. Speaker Sir, when we look at a report by the Ministry of Mines, no money is coming into Treasury from that ministry and yet Zim Asset says, 1.25 million housing units will be made available with money coming from our natural resources, yet, there is no money coming from diamonds.

When Zim Asset was talking about natural resources, it was mainly referring to our diamonds. I want to give a practical example of what has happened in the allocation of houses which is unsystematic.

I come from Mabvuku, which is next to a farm now resident to about 60 000 people. Those people were settled between 2004 and 2013. Mr. Speaker Sir, what we have in that community are housing units which have been allocated in an unsystematic manner. We have housing units, which stand here and the dining room of that next housing unit is facing the toilet of the next housing unit.

There is no sewerage system, no backbone infrastructure, electricity and there is no drinking water. That is a community of more than 60 000 people which is relying on shallow wells and blair toilets.

What is happening is that, people that have looked at that community are saying that, in the next few months, all water in that whole community and the adjacent suburbs of Mabvuku, Tafara and parts of Goromonzi South which is Ruwa and ZIMRE Park, all their underground water bodies are going to be compromised, because of that settlement which is called Caledonia which has 60 000 people who do not have access to toilets.

Mr. Speaker Sir, what we have now is a situation where if those 60 000 people that are resident in Caledonia have their housing units demolished, they have nowhere to go. The way through which the houses were allocated was that, a group of war veterans who are resident in that community were allocating the stands on a partisan basis –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-

MR. SPEAKER: Order, carry on hon. member.

MR. MARIDADI: What the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development may have to do – I do not know how that US$325 million is going to be raised, but Caledonia Farm on its own Mr. Speaker, requires a lot of money because you need to construct roads, backbone infrastructure for electricity, safe drinking water and basic sewer reticulation.

What we must appreciate is that, when this motion was put on the Order Paper about five weeks ago and today, a lot of things have happened in the intervening period. One of them has been the arrest of land barons. Some of them are those that were responsible for allocating land in Caledonia.

What I would like to say is that the motion says that, those that have allocated land must be arrested. We have seen a bit of movement in that regard. There are quite a number of people who have been arrested because they allocated land illegally.

For example, we have organisations such as Destiny for Africa, which is still operating in Caledonia under the patronage of Obadiah Msindo who is still allocating housing units. Even though Government is battling to give people land in a proper manner we still have another organisation whose political affiliation we all know, which is in the process of allocating land illegally.

On the other hand, Government is saying we do not want illegal structures. There is the case of Mr. Energy Mutodi, a musician who also participated in the primary elections on a ZANU PF ticket, fortunately, he lost. He is also a land baron –

[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-

MR. SPEAKER: Order, order. The preamble to the motion states exactly what the seconder is just saying now. I think let us go to the midst of the motion which says, now therefore, calls upon Government to take remedial measures by putting in place programmes that are sustainable and settlement plans that are pro-poor. That is what we want to hear. Secondly, what action against these illegal land developers and unregistered cooperatives must be taken? If we could address those two issues, then we will be in line with the motion.

MR. MARIDADI: Mr. Speaker, I was giving this background as a build up to that preamble. The remedial actions that I was talking about, that is why I quoted from Zim Asset earlier on, and I was talking about the number of housing units that Government says has to be provided because of the Government housing backlog.

There is also the amount of money that is required. In terms of remedial action, I think Government must give borrowing powers to local authorities like City of Harare so that they get into Caledonia and give this backbone infrastructure. That is what I was talking about because in terms of the structures that are there, they are not put in a systematic manner. So I do not know what should be done. One of the issues that I am raising Mr. Speaker is that, there is a bit of land in Caledonia which is unoccupied and people continue to be resettled illegally on that open land.

My suggestion would have been that, those people who are settled on the first phase of Caledonia Farm be moved in a systematic manner to those empty spaces. That area of Caledonia Farm, where there are illegal structures which I do not think will be in anyone’s power to rectify unless people are moved from that area into an area where houses have been provided by Government.

I think the 1.25 million housing units which the Government is talking about should be constructed in that open area which is now fast diminishing because landlords are still parcelling out land.

When those housing units are constructed, people are moved from the first phase of Caledonia into that phase and then Harare City Council can move into the first phase and pull down the houses and put up proper structures and then more people can move in.

Mr. Speaker Sir, I think that is the remedial action that I was talking about. However, first and foremost, I think Government must put a stop to land barons that are parcelling out land.

Step number 2, make the housing units available in those peri-urban farms that have been acquired by Government for the purpose and when the low cost housing units have been made available, people are then moved from these structures that we are calling illegal into those properly constructed houses. Then, the other space like the phase 1 of Caledonia, can then be pulled down and proper structures can be put in place.

That is where I was coming from, talking about Zim Asset and this book which is talking about pro-poor housing. My worry Mr. Speaker Sir, is that, if you look at this book, it was produced in 2005. Zim Asset is a document that was crafted in 2013.

If you look at the number of housing units that this book is talking about, they are 1.25 million houses, Zim Asset is talking about 1.25 million houses and I think that there is a bit of a disconnection that, in 2004, we needed 1.25 million housing units, and in 2013, we still need 1.25 million housing units.

My point is that, Caledonia in 2004, was a settlement of about 10 000 people. Caledonia Farm in 2013, is a settlement of an excess of 60 000 people. So, the figure of 1.25 million housing units, I do not know where Zim Asset is taking it from because the book here which is an authority is also talking about the same number, that of five years ago.

Mr. Speaker, when you look at World Best Practice, Section 26 of the South African constitution, it says everyone has a right to access adequate housing and the department of Human Settlements is tasked with the implementation of -[AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections]-

MR. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Matangira, please stop the cross-firing verbally while the other hon. member is speaking. Hon. member, please carry on.

MR. MARIDADI: Thank you. Mr. Speaker Sir, when you look at World Best Practice, I will give reference to South Africa which is just across the border. Section 26 of Chapter 2 of their constitution says everyone has a right to have access to adequate housing and the department of human settlements …

*MR. CHINOTIMBA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir, though we work together with our neighbours, we are not in South Africa. We are in Zimbabwe and we are guided by the Zimbabwean Constitution. We cannot take the South African Constitution because in their Constitution, they recognise gays, whereas our Zimbabwean Constitution does not. What is good for the goose is not good for the gander. –[HON.MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-

MR. SPEAKER: Order, order. What Hon. Chinotimba is merely stating is that, in our Constitution, we also have similar provisions, why do we not state them accordingly?

MR. MARIDADI: Mr. Speaker, I was coming to that. I am simply flagging World Best Practices, what this country is able to look at. I have looked at our Constitution, a copy of which I have on my chair. I have looked at our Constitution on the relevant section which talks about the right to shelter and the right to housing.

I have read and understood them but I am simply quoting World Best Practice –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-

Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to sympathise with Hon. Chinotimba because he is not singularly privileged in his parentage and schooling.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Maridadi, I thought you were explaining yourself extremely well but your last part of your language is unparliamentary. Please withdraw that part?

MR. MARIDADI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I withdraw that last part.

MR. SPEAKER: Please carry on.

MR. MARIDADI: Also Mr. Speaker, going to World Best Practices, I have the liberty to quote from other laws, ‘the right to housing is also recognised in a number of international human rights instruments.”

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises the right to housing as part of the right to an adequate standard of living and that is the World Best Practices that I am talking about.

Mr. Speaker, what I am saying is that, copying from other countries and other constitutions, even when we were in the process of writing our own Constitution. We made reference to their world best practices and the South African Constitution is one document which is revered the world over as a good constitution. We have every right to make reference to that Constitution.

Talking about remedial action Mr. Speaker Sir –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-

MR. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Chinotimba and hon. Members from both sides, particularly on my left, your own is speaking and you are making the most noise. I do not think that is acceptable. That is for the Chair to control. Please give the hon. member a chance to state his case. Hon. Maridadi please continue.

MR. MARIDADI: Mr. Speaker Sir, talking about remedial action, the book that I referred to earlier on, talks about insurance companies and in particular, it makes reference to the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).

It says that, NSSA is one pension fund among many that has contributed to housing delivery in Zimbabwe. It has launched many low income housing projects throughout the country and notable examples being the BHP Chegutu and Marondera Rusike Housing Phase 2.

Looking at that Mr. Speaker, if you extrapolate from the two housing projects that have been undertaken by NSSA, we could say that, because Government has a significant shareholding in NSSA, Government could use its influence of underwriting and ask NSSA to provide low cost housing.

There are quite a number of insurance companies here. One of them is Old Mutual which is quoted on the London Stock Exchange, which is endowed with financial muscle. It could provide low cost housing. There are so many farms. If you look at Zim Asset, a lot of land has been acquired in Harare’s peri-urban and some of those farms; I think that Government should move with speed.

If you drive along the Harare- Bulawayo Road and look on either side of the road, there are so many structures that are coming up in a manner that is not systematic and when those structures are constructed, Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for those that give service like electricity, water and sewer to then come in and have that backbone infrastructure because those houses are not constructed in a systematic manner.

You have one housing unit facing north, the next facing south and the next facing east. Actually, if you look at Caledonia farm, Mr. Speaker Sir, I was there over the weekend, you see one house which is a properly constructed three bedroomed house; the main bedroom of that house is just an arm away from the toilet of the next house.

What basically happens is that those who were allocating land simply throw a stone and say, that is where your stand starts and it ends at that corner and a person is able to construct a house in a manner that they like.

MR. MASHAYAMOMBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I know Caledonia was planned through the Department of Physical Planning and it was surveyed properly. What is not in …

MR. SPEAKER: Order, order, do not get into a debate, you have a chance to debate and make your case accordingly.

MR. MARIDADI: Mr. Speaker Sir, Caledonia farm where I was over the weekend has housing units. People were allocated stands and were not favoured with plans from Physical Planning and everything. The case I am trying to put across, Mr. Speaker Sir, is that there is a properly constructed four bed roomed house whose main bedroom is a metre away from the toilet of the next house. I am repeating myself for purposes of clarity.

What I am saying is that, I was at a point where I was saying a number of insurance companies like Old Mutual could provide money to Government or not even provide money to Government, but construct low cost housing.

If you drive along the Bulawayo road, there are a lot of farms that are available and Government talks of farmland that is available for construction of housing units and I think the Government should now move away from this practice where they just allocate stands which are not serviced. Mr. Speaker, Government should be able to construct low cost housing, and we have seen that happening in Zambia, South Africa and Botswana.

It is the duty of Government to provide its people with accommodation because accommodation and shelter are basic human rights which are enshrined in our Constitution and enshrined in other protocols that this Government has appended its signature on. I come from Mabvuku and Tafara and these are basically suburbs of low cost housing which were constructed for domestic workers who lived in Highlands, Greendale and adjoining areas.

The housing units in Mabvuku and Tafara, at the most are selling for US$7 000. What it means is that Government is able to construct a low cost housing, a two bed roomed house with a basic toilet and bathroom at a cost of less than US$5 000 and make those available to our people.

Government talks about US$325m to provide 1.2m low cost housing and it is something that is feasible. What we need then to fight, Mr. Speaker Sir, is corruption where the left hand is saying one thing and the right hand is doing another.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you.

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