Zimbabwe’s former First Lady Grace Mugabe is under investigation following complaints that she grabbed residential stands worth US$10 million without paying from an upmarket development on State land in Borrowdale.
Grace at one point even took the Mazowe dam and the mountains in that area in a move that was labeled as abuse of power and a great appetite for power.
In the case under investigation, Arosume Property Development (Pvt) Limited were appointed as developers for the land on Carrick Creagh Estate allocated to Sally Mugabe Housing Cooperative in 2005 and have now lodged complaints with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the President’s Office.
They allege that the former First Lady Grace Mugabe and then Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development Minister Ignatious Chombo used their political clout to transfer stands from the development to companies they controlled without paying for that land.
Zacc spokesperson, Commissioner John Makamure said the commission would investigate all reported cases of corruption without fear or favour, including the Carrick Creagh Estate.
“We are dealing with all suspected cases of corruption that have either been reported to us, that have appeared in the media or even on social media. We are determined to allow the law to take its course,” he said.
According to a letter filed with Zacc, Grace Mugabe and Dr Chombo are accused of using undue influence.
“A tripartite agreement was thus entered into between the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development, Arosume Property Development (Pvt) Ltd and the Sally Mugabe Housing Cooperative. The object of the tripartite agreement is the development of upmarket residential stands of varying sizes at Carrick Creagh Estate, Borrowdale, Harare. To this end the ministry contributed land owned by the state whilst Arosume Property Development was tasked with the development of the area,” read the papers.