Clr Gomba at it again

Sunday, 12 June 2011 11:05 Features

Ward 27 councillor Herbert Gomba embroiled in the occupation dispute of number 4910 Nata Lane, Glen Norah A.

By Phyllis Kachere and Charlotte Musarurwa
HOUSE No. 4910 Nata Lane in Harare’s Glen Norah A high-density suburb looks just like some of the “matchbox-sized” houses in the neighbourhood.
In fact, unlike most of the houses in that area that appear generally well kept, House No. 4910 has all the signs of neglect.
The dirty, charcoal-stained walls and the blocked water running through the small yard even make this council-owned house unsuitable for human habitation.
This three-roomed house is the home of 32-year-old Ms Ndakaitei Masutso, her husband Tonhodzai Togara (37) and their four children. The family has been staying in this house since 2009.
Despite looking run-down, this house is at the centre of an “ownership” dispute between Ms Masutso and Ward 27 councillor Herbert Gomba, who also claims to have been allocated the same house.
Having been allocated the residence through a special arrangement between the Harare Municipal Workers’ Union (HMWU) and Harare Municipality, Ms Masutso was advised to move in while her stay was being regularised. A letter dated July 22 2010, signed by HMWU chairperson Mr Cosmas Bungu, to Harare’s director of human resources challenging Masutso’s pending disciplinary hearing over the matter stated that:
“This occupation (Masutso’s) was done in the spirit of assisting council employees . . . It was agreed that non-council employees  occupying council-owned houses be identified.
“After identification of such houses those in critical situations were to occupy the houses and regularisation would follow.”
In fact, an earlier memo by HMWU written on November 2 2009 confirmed Ms Masutso’s assertion.
“N. Masutso of No. 4910 Glen Norah and L. Kurewa of Flat No. 6960 are staying at the stated addresses and are not regularised. They are facing incessant harassment by councillors and certain directors
“May your good offices assist them regularise their stay before the matter gets out of hand.”
And Ms Masutso says ever since she moved in, her family has not enjoyed peace.
“Soon after we moved in in 2009, Clr Gomba would come in person telling us to leave this house. He would threaten to evict us.
“He said he would use all his powers to have us thrown out of this our allocated council-owned house in Glen Norah,” said Ms Masutso.
She said she was not alone in her ordeal as several other families faced eviction in what the board of inquiry dubbed connivance between councillors and senior officials to repossess and allocate themselves council property.
The threats came to a head last August when Dr Ignatius Chombo set up a board of inquiry to investigate the widespread evictions alleged to have been instigated by named councillors and officials.
Councillors and employees implicated in the scam included:

• Clr Marange tried to grab 2321 Glen Norah;

• Clr Gomba tried to grab 4910 Glen Norah;

• Clr Mbadzi tried to grab 4708 Highfield;

• Clr Gorekore tried to grab 5051 Highfield;

• Clr Katsande tried to grab 5577 Highfield;

• Council worker Wilfred Ganyira tried to grab 5836 Highfield; and

• Council worker Nelson Zimba tried to grab 4999 Highfield.

In an interview with Minister Chombo, he said he had not yet received reports concerning the matter, but he was going to make investigations.

Mr Tonhodzai Togara, husband of Ms Ndakaitei Masutso, at the entrance of No. 4910 Nata Lane, Glen Norah A.

“The matter has not come to my attention, but I am going to carry out investigations,” he said.
Some of these councillors were subsequently sacked from their positions, but Clr Gomba was spared. She said bills have been coming in Clr Gomba’s name and the May bill now shows the house is no longer a council-rented house but is now owned by the councillor.
“While the matter appeared to have died after the disciplinary hearings, it appears it is persisting behind the scenes. Last month’s bill came and it was still in Clr Gomba’s name, but this time the bill no longer indicates this is a council-rented house.
“We have objected to our bills coming in his name, but nothing seemed to have changed,” said Ms Masutso.
This, she said, has caused anxiety to her and suggests the house now belongs to Clr Gomba. But a senior official in the office of the director of housing and community services, who declined to be identified, said:
“Since the time of the evictions, the bills that were appearing in Clr Gomba’s name were never changed. They are still to be reversed. The house still remains council-rented property; the tenant who resides there is supposed to pay the bills,” said the official.
Clr Gomba told The Sunday Mail last Friday that the house remained council property even though the bills still appear in his name.
“Because the bill is appearing in my name, this does not translate to my ownership of that house.”
But Clr Gomba would not explain why the bills were appearing in his name in the first place. While the matter is simmering, Harare Municipality does not seem to be in a hurry to effectively deal with clear traces of corruption right under its nose.-The Sunday Mail