Acting Town Clerk for the City of Harare, Engineer Mabhena Phakamile has confirmed that council was not happy with the work done on Airport Road by Kenneth Raydon Sharpe owned Augur Investments but was pushed into agreeing a settlement by the central government.
Responding to a High Court application filed by Harare North legislator and two others who are seeking reversal of a deal entered between Harare and Augur Investments, Eng. Moyo said they were overpowered by Local Government minister July Moyo who decided to pay the investor with state land.
“There is tangible evidence that work was done on airport road although not to completion. It is true that at some point council was not happy with underperformance by Augur. That is why it cancelled the agreement. It did so in consideration of what was best for the council.
“From the information that I have gathered from some of the records relating to this transaction, the Deed of Settlement was entered in good faith and that it was made in the best interest of the public. Things may not have gone as expected but the original intention was to promote infrastructural development for the benefit of the public,” said Engineer Moyo.
According to Engineer Moyo, City of Harare who were the initial owners of the project but were overwhelmed by government through local government minister July Moyo who single-handedly facilitated the transfer of the said land to the controversial Sharpe.
“The transfer of stand 654 Pomona Township is a bilateral contractual issue. Once the owner of the property decided to transfer the property I do not believe third parties can interfere. This was state land which the state decided to transfer to Augur. The City of Harare could not have stopped or refused that,” he said.
He added “It appears from the Council records that at some point the 5th respondent disagreed with Augur regarding the value of work done. Those matters were litigated upon and there are outcomes. So it is not as if the 5th respondent has not taken steps to protect the interest of the public regarding this transaction.
“It is true that stand 654 Pomona was state land and the state through the relevant ministry decided to transfer it. There is nothing that the 5th respondent could have done to stop that.”
Markham, Jacob Pikicha and Tavonga Savings Scheme are seeking reversal of the land deal on the basis that there was massive land theft and corruption.
