“I have since written to Mashamhanda advising him that he can now proceed with the construction of his service station as EMA has approved its construction,” said Harare Mayor, Muchadeyi Masunda.
Construction of the service station and food court, which employed 100 Mbare residents, was met with political resistance from Zanu (PF) supporters who accused the Harare city council of giving Mashamhanda the land on partisan grounds.
Last year, Zanu (PF) Harare Province Youth Chairperson, Jimu Kunaka, alleged that Mashamhanda sent two of his employees to bribe him with $15 000 to influence his fellow party members to let him build his service station.
Kunaka alerted the police who then set up a trap at Crown Plaza Hotel, leading to the arrest of Mashamhanda’s employees. The matter is still before the courts.
Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Ignatious Chombo, in July last year set up a team to investigate the alleged supply of sodium cyanide to the city of Harare water treatment works by Mashamhanda’s MT&N Distributors (Pvt) Ltd but ended up extending its mandate to the Mbare Filling Station.
After wrapping up its investigations, Chombo told a news conference that the probe team had recommended that the city council stop Mashamhanda’s Mbare project because of environmental challenges.
“That piece of land is better reserved for the expansion of the Zimbabwe Republic Police Matapi Station,” said Chombo during the press conference.
The probe team claimed that the project breached Section 37 (4) of EMA Act and carried out an Environmental Impact Assessment.
Irked by the developments, Mashamhanda sued city council for loss of profit.
When contacted for comment Chombo said he did not know why Mashamhanda was stopped from constructing the service station.
“It is council that stopped Mashamhanda and I am not council. It is up to the council to make decisions on that land,” said Chombo.
Post published in: News