Zimbabwe’s Minister of Local Government Ignatius Chombo is preparing to hand over Mutare’s prestigious Meikles Park to Chinese merchants, it has emerged.
This revelation comes following the below letter penned by former mayor Brian James who writes expressing concern for this development. Contacted for comment Mutare council’s City Housing Director, Mr. Mapurisa, confirmed that the city is critically short of land for development, both commercial and residential but this project appears to be going ahead regardless.
 
Open letter to Hon Member of Parliament (Mutare Central) Mr. Innocent Gonese
 
By Brian James
Further to our brief telephone conversation yesterday I submit details of the Govt. proposed intention with the City’s (Mutare) Meikles Park. We ask if you could, with your influence in Parliament, lobby for its retention as a public space for the benefit of all Mutareans and their visitors.
Some years ago the government, through the local Govt Min. Chombo, indicated to the City Management that they had identified Meikles Park in Mutare for development in “the national interest’, and Council was directed by Min. Chombo to hand Meikles Park over to the Govt. They proposed a land swap of Meikles Park for state land surrounding the Dangamvura link road turn off. It was their intention to give/ sell Meikles Park to Angin and their Zimbabwean military partners for the development of a 14 story hotel and supermarket complex.
To date no indication has been given as to the exact nature of the ‘national interest’ mentioned, and many of us fail to understand how a purely private commercial enterprise can constitute such ‘national interest’.
Several petitions objecting to this deal, the misuse of our City’s donated public space (Meikles Park), and the abuse of state land for private gain, were handed in to Council earlier this year. Despite these we have recently been informed by the City Housing Director, Mr. Mapurisa, that because the city is critically short of land for development, both commercial and residential that this project appears to be going ahead regardless.
Some would argue that the City needs the development for job creation etc etc and on that we fully concur. However, it was pointed out to the Minister and those supporting this sale that other sights are in fact available for this sort of development, one of which is the ground opposite the main swimming baths on which a Sakunda Service station has been built (there is still room to accommodate a hotel alongside the garage). Another site would be on the very state land that government has offered to swap with council, as it is envisaged that this state land would be the start of a second central business district.
Meikles Park is to Mutarean residents what Unity Square is to Harareans and Centenary Square to the Bulawayo residents. Without this public space, Mutareans would be prejudiced of central city space for large social events, and workers within the CBD would be denied relaxation space during the day.
The Housing Director, in his feeble attempt to justify this project, stated that the City had no where to expand! He stated that the western expansion to the Odzi river through Transsau Estate had been blocked by the resettlement of Chiadzwa inhabitants. This is not entirely correct, as the resettlement only takes up a small portion of the Transsau Estate and in due course this resettlement would be incorporated into the city’s authoritative area. The Housing Director also stated that Northerly expansion had been blocked by the resettlement of communal farmers on former commercial land, and that this now prohibits urban expansion! This cannot be true as this principal would stifle all urban expansion within the country.
We urge you take up this matter with the utmost urgency as we believe that the land swap is imminent, if not already enacted. We are already initiating further petitions and public awareness and would urge you to do the same.
Best regards,
Brian James.