A commission probing irregularities within the Harare City Council has uncovered that controversial businessman Phillip Chiyangwa was allocated land in one of the capital’s prime suburbs, which had originally been reserved for road expansion.
The land has now become the focal point of a heated dispute between Chiyangwa and Chinese investors who had developed a high-end complex on the site. During the inquiry led by Justice Maphios Cheda, Harare City Council’s director of works, Zvenyika Chawatama, admitted that an error was made in permitting the Chinese firm, JC Delonics, to develop the land.
“It was an error on the city council’s part,” Chawatama conceded, as he addressed the commission. The inquiry revealed that the land had been set aside for road expansion, casting doubt on the validity of Chiyangwa’s claim to it.
Chawatama confirmed that it was not council policy to sell land intended for road use, raising further concerns about the legitimacy of Chiyangwa’s acquisition. The commission also deliberated on whether Chiyangwa’s Pinnacle Holdings was rightfully entitled to the land, given its original designation for road development.
JC Delonics, co-owned by Jesse Zhang and Zimbabwean partner Nicholas Mandeya, had constructed a restaurant at 617 Windmill Lane in the upscale Helensvale area. Mandeya testified before the commission that Chiyangwa had allegedly threatened them, instructing them to “go back to their country” and boasting of his untouchable status.
The company is now seeking to recover over $200,000 invested in building a car park on the disputed land, which they were forced to halt after claims emerged that it belonged to Chiyangwa’s Pinnacle Holdings.
The conflict between Chiyangwa and JC Delonics was first reported by Truth Diggers, the investigative unit of Alpha Media Holdings, in July. Documents obtained by Truth Diggers revealed that the Harare City Council had initially granted JC Delonics permission to develop the land, but then revoked several permits just four months into the project in November of last year. The Chinese investors have since lodged complaints with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and reached out to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office for intervention.