Chitungwiza Correspondent
A Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy has heard that land allocated to former Chitungwiza councillor and former ZIFA administrator Lazarus Mhurushomana for a stadium project was instead used to develop a fuel service station.
The revelation emerged during a hearing in which legislators questioned Chitungwiza municipal officials over fuel service stations and compliance with land-use and planning regulations in the town.
Responding to questions from the committee, a council official said the matter dated back to 2008, when Mhurushomana was allocated land for the construction of a stadium.
However, the official said Mhurushomana proceeded to develop a fuel station on the land, with only part of the property remaining earmarked for the proposed stadium.
“Someone was given a piece of land to construct a stadium. So he started by constructing a service station,” the official told the committee.
The official said the local authority later received plans for the fuel station and attempted to regularise the development retrospectively, despite concerns over the status of the land and compliance with planning requirements.
Members of the committee expressed shock that land allocated for recreational infrastructure had been converted into a commercial fuel outlet, raising questions about how the development was approved and whether proper procedures were followed.
The hearing also exposed broader concerns about land administration and development control in Chitungwiza, with legislators seeking explanations on how developments can proceed before the necessary approvals and registration processes are completed.
The committee is expected to continue examining the circumstances surrounding the allocation and subsequent use of the land as part of its oversight of the energy sector and fuel retail operations.
