By The Wasu Post Reporter
MUTARE – A dispute has erupted at ARDA Transau, where some residents relocated from the Chiadzwa diamond fields have accused former councilor and current ZANU PF district chairperson Moses Mujaji, Otilia Dara, prominent ZANU PF member Cecelia Gambe and Elizabeth Chimukushe of attempting to use political influence to take control of unfinished houses in Zone Six that they say should be reserved for genuine beneficiaries of the Chiadzwa relocation program.
The residents allege that the unfinished houses, which were roofed but never completed, remain under the custody of the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), which had undertaken to renovate them before officially allocating them to beneficiaries.
According to the residents, more than 50 families relocated from Chiadzwa are still waiting to be allocated houses, while some of the unfinished units were illegally occupied about 10 years ago.
They alleged that Mujaji, Dara, Gambe and Chimukushe are seeking to remove some occupants and replace them with people of their choice using political influence.
The residents also claimed that while he was councilor, Mujaji removed some occupants from houses and replaced them with people aligned to him, allegations they say have fuelled fears that history could repeat itself.
“We want ZCDC to complete the houses and allocate them to the rightful beneficiaries. Politicians should not interfere in a process that falls under ZCDC,” said one resident who requested anonymity for fear of victimization.
Responding to the allegations, Mujaji dismissed the claims as “null and void”, insisting that he has no authority to allocate houses.
“I am a district chairperson, village head and was appointed as Chief Zimunya’s aide in the area. Allocating houses is not my mandate,” he said.
Mujaji said the relocation program was never completed after Parliament declared it a failure, resulting in mining companies withdrawing before all the planned houses had been finished.
He said this left 57 completed but unoccupied houses and 21 unfinished houses in Zone Six, which were later invaded by illegal occupants allegedly led by security guards employed by Pillerton Construction, the contractor that built the houses.
According to Mujaji, the security guards are now removing the occupants under instructions from their employer following efforts by the contractor to recover outstanding payments.
“The security guards are removing their occupants as instructed by their employer, not me,” he said.
Mujaji further alleged that the accusations against him were politically motivated and being driven by opposition activists because of his position within ZANU PF.
“I only know a few of the people making these allegations. They are opposition party leaders while I am a leader of the ruling party, so this is a political gimmick. What do you expect from the opposition? Criticism,” he said.
He also accused some relocated families of refusing to recognize the traditional leadership of Chief Zimunya, saying they instead recognized the District Development Coordinator who oversaw their relocation and continued to follow the leadership of their former headman from Chiadzwa.
Mujaji argued that the leadership dispute had contributed to lawlessness in the area, claiming some criminal activities were going unreported because residents were not cooperating with the local traditional leadership.
He denied having any personal interest in the disputed houses.
“I have my own house allocated by the Government with all the necessary documents. I have nothing to do with those houses,” he said.
Mujaji urged residents to report any unlawful evictions to the police rather than making allegations through the media.
Meanwhile, Otilia Dara, who residents had alleged was identifying houses occupied by people who were not relocated from Chiadzwa, denied any involvement.
“I do not know anything about this matter and I am not involved at all,” she said.
ZCDC had not responded to requests for comment regarding the status of the unfinished houses and the allocation process.
The dispute has once again brought renewed attention to the long-running challenges surrounding the relocation of families displaced by diamond mining in Chiadzwa, with residents calling for the remaining houses to be completed and allocated through a transparent process.