By A Correspondent| A military intelligence report on land distribution and corruption has named controversial Zanu PF activist Wellington Peyama of extorting money from desperate land seekers using his closeness to Local government minister July Moyo.
In the report titled “who runs Harare land” authored by the MID for the central intelligence organization (CIO) and the police, Peyama is accused of name dropping Moyo’s name to grab cheap state land in Harare.
“Mr Peyama along with his associates claim to have links to Hon Minister Cde J Moyo and have been taking money ranging from USD $1000 to USD$10 000 per person for assistance to get state land. Some people are told to pay a deposit while others have paid full amounts with a hope that they will get the land,” reads part of the report.
“For example, one Cde Muskwe claims to have paid USD$4000 to Cde Peyama to facilitate a meeting with Cde JG Moyo. After paying the money, the meeting never materialised,” the report alleged.
Peyama is also accused of using his association with one Rodrick Mlauzi, a South African based Zanu PF member to hoodwink desperate land seekers about his links to minister Moyo.
“Mlauzi claims to be a relative of Moyo but in actual fact he is not related at all. They spend most of their time at Rainbow Hotel and this is where the money they would have extorted from people is spent at. Also they have two houses they rent in the city center in the Avenues area that they use as bases for meetings and debauchery”.
The report lists one Sibongile Mafu from Bulawayo who lost US$3500 to Peyama after being promised that he would assist her to get state land in Chitungwiza for a nominal fee.
Zanu PF uses state land to buy votes and the military is worried that if the corrupt practices are not nipped in the bud, land developers and genuine investors would lose a lot of money to fraudsters such as Peyama.
“Could your department investigate this matter and engage the minister and the said victims to bring this vice down. The minister must disassociate himself from such characters,” the report states.
Attempts to get a comment from Peyama were fruitless as he did not respond to questions sent to him while July Moyo denied seeing the MID report.
“Yes I know Peyama and Mlauzi but the report you are quoting is new to me, I will need to have sight of it before I can comment on,” Moyo said.