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Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: ZANU PF supporters take over clean-up houses

HARARE - At least 150 ruling ZANU PF supporters have forcibly taken over houses built for victims of last year's controversial government demolition exercise at Whitecliff Farm west of the capital Harare.

The houses were built under a government reconstruction exercise codenamed Operation Garikayi (Operation Live Well) for the benefit of thousands of people made homeless under last year's housing demolition exercise that left at least 700 000 people homeless.

ZANU PF legislator for Manyame constituency under which Whitecliff Farm falls, Patrick Zhuwawo, is said to have recently brought the ruling party's supporters and allocated them houses displacing individuals who had already received written offers for the same houses from the government.

Zhuwawo could not be reached for comment on the matter yesterday.

But one of the victims who lost his stand to ZANU PF supporters, Messiah Muchuro told ZimOnline yesterday that he had been chucked out of his stand with officials from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works telling him that the initial offer letters were no longer valid.

"I was told by one Mawoyo that I will be allocated another stand under the second phase even though I have a provisional offer letter. It's very disappointing because the government is now only rewarding its supporters," said Muchuro.

"I was told that the allocation system had changed and I should keep on making enquiries," he said.

Local Government and Public Works Minister Ignatius Chombo denied that the government was allocating the houses to ZANU PF supporters only.

"It's not true. The houses are strictly for the homeless and those who are earning less than $10 million a month," said Chombo.

The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party and human rights groups have often accused President Robert Mugabe's government of grabbing the clean-up houses and allocating them to ZANU PF supporters only.

The Harare authorities, battling an unprecedented six-year old economic recession, have also struggled to complete the houses with only 500 houses out of the 9 000 available stands at Whitecliff having been completed so far.