Church sues government for US$900,000 in cash and ...

Church sues government for US$900,000 in cash and land as payment for New Parly property

Inside the new Parliament building. Photo credit: China Aid Zimbabwe

One Way Ministries is demanding that government pays up a total value US$900,000 that it agreed to as compensation for the land which was compulsorily expropriated for construction of the New Parliament building.

“After noting that despite undertaking to pay, the defendants had failed to pay, the plaintiff made a formal claim for payment several times but the defendants have ignored or neglected to pay despite promising to do so,” reads court papers of the lawsuit which cites ministers Anxious Masuka, July Moyo, and Mthuli Ncube as respondents.

Further to that One Way Ministries is also demanding that government allocates the land it promised the church as part of the same deal.

“Further, the plaintiff was offered as compensation deductable from the US$900 000, the allocation of Lot 20 Glen Forest Borrowdale and has accepted by signing to receive title or ownership of the said land, but same has not been ceded or transferred despite promises by the defendants.”

One Way Ministries say government wrote to them on May 6, 2016 undertaking to carry out the valuation of land measuring 7.91 hectares held by the church under Deed of Transfer No 3207/2011, in order to facilitate compensation for compulsory acquisition.

The land was designated for compulsory acquisition, on July 1, 2016.

Construction began on November 2017 with no valuation or compensation agreement in place after government indicated that the land had been compulsorily designated, thus One Way Ministries was obliged to give it up.

In October 2017 the lands minister offered to pay US$900,000 for the property and One Way Ministries agreed to the amount and signed documents to that effect on June 2, 2020.

The two parties settled on value Lot 20 of Glen Forest of Borrowdale Farm, Goromonzi being set on US$165,000, leaving government with a US$765,000 cash settlement to make.

One Way Ministry is now suing for payment and possession of the Glen Forest Land after government has failed to honour its commitment.