…we set the record straight
- Nehanda Housing Cooperative would like to dismiss as false, malicious, misleading, fallacious, null and void, an article titled “Dzivarasekwa ex-Housing Leader Risks Arrest” that was published by Newsday on September 5, 2022. Nehanda Housing Cooperative executive management led by Cde Keri Mhute would like to set the record straight and correct the erroneous statements issued by an expelled defaulter, Simba Moyo. Nehanda Housing Cooperative is in full support of an audit as opposed to statements made by Simba Moyo in the published article.
- It is public knowledge that Nehanda Housing Cooperative’s management and expelled defaulters led by Simba Moyo have been at loggerheads since 2015. The matter is before the Registrar of Cooperatives and the Minister of Women’s Affairs in terms of Section 115 of the Cooperative Societies Act and not the Ministry of Local Government as stated in the misleading article. We are putting it on record that an audit was proposed to be conducted on all parties on the dispute in terms of Section 113 of the Cooperative Act Chapter (24:05).
- The scheduled August 28, 2022 meeting was not organised by Nehanda Housing Cooperative but was a sham gathering by a faction led by Simba Moyo. The meeting had nothing to do with the executive management of Nehanda Housing Cooperative. For the record, Simba Moyo is also going to be audited and be made to account for the monies he received on behalf of Nehanda Housing Cooperative without issuing receipts as well as the illegal allocation of stands on the undeveloped land.
- Audits are mandatory in terms of Section 35 (1) of the Cooperative Societies Act Chapter (24:05) and Nehanda Housing Cooperative has been conducting these audits in line with the law. However, the pending audit evoked Section 113 as a tool to address the dispute before the Minister as enshrined in the Cooperative Act. Nehanda Housing Cooperative is in full support of the conducting of the audit as opposed to the falsehoods published by Simba Moyo.
- Due processes are to be followed in terms of Section 45 (1:3) as read with Section 49 (1) to notify members on any developments regarding General Meetings. Nehanda Housing Cooperative shall advise members through a proper communication channel regarding the Special General Meeting with an agenda to choose an auditor on a date to be advised. The Meeting will encompass representatives from the Ministry of Women Affairs, Zimbabwe National Federation of Cooperatives and members of the cooperative.
- Our position is that Simba Moyo and Enesia Gutu are misleading the general public by falsely claiming to be new management of Nehanda Housing Cooperative. The Registrar of Cooperatives in a 2018 letter highlighted that he never empowered the Moyo-led group to have counter control or powers to meddle in the affairs, finances and administration of the cooperative. Averments made in the Newsday article claiming Simba Moyo is the current chairperson of Nehanda Housing Cooperative are clearly false, misleading and must be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.
- Members are advised that they should not be misled by Simba Moyo who never joined Nehanda Housing Cooperative as a founding member but came through other cooperatives who joined Nehanda such as Imbahuru, Sungamberi and Betta Bricks. In his case, he came as part of Unilever employees who benefited at Nehanda Housing Cooperative. The whole idea of publishing falsehoods is malicious and aimed at tarnishing the image of a successful Third Chimurenga Housing project led by veterans of the liberation struggle.
- Simba Moyo has a pending case reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission under ZACC RR133/10/19. He is subject to the pending audit since he received money on behalf of Nehanda Housing Cooperative without issuing receipts. He also caused the illegal allocation of stands on undeveloped land.
- We would like to urge members to be guided accordingly and wait for a formal invitation and notification for the forthcoming General Meeting. A decision to choose an auditor will be published in due course through all platforms in terms of Section 45 (1:3) of Cooperative Societies Act Chapter (24:05).
Background
Nehanda Housing Cooperative is a model of the modern-day low-income earners housing scheme situated in Dzivarasekwa.
It was established in 2000 by a group of war veterans under the Third Chimurenga project. Nehanda started off with 5 392 stands, with a large chunk of land being set aside for future developments. The settlement formalised by government saw the land being parcelled out for different use, namely: residential as well as community schools, comprising seven primary and three secondary schools.
As the government embarked on Operation Murambatsvina in 2005, Nehanda Housing Cooperative was cited as a good example of how to build houses which are habitable as opposed to illegal structures.
