Gono denies owning vast tracts of land

RECENT media reports have suggested that former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono, is among a number of top politicians and business people being investigated for owning “vast “tracts of land in Bulawayo which they have neglected developing over the years.

The Bulawayo city council was recently reported to be probing, among others, Gono, transport minister Obert Mpofu and MDC leader Welshman Ncube for allegedly holding onto vast tracts of land which have not been developed.

In a statement to the Financial Gazette, Gono rubbishes the allegations and outlines the issue as follows:

1.While I cannot speak on behalf of any of the listed land owners, and do not dispute the fact that my family have not been able to move an inch to develop our ” vast piece of land/stand due to reasons the City Council is aware of( water etc), I however find it strange that neither the Bulawayo City Council itself nor the media practitioners who carried the story failed to provide vital statistics that would have given the public a better appreciation of the ” size of the land” each one of the listed land “barons “own, and the amounts owed to the city council in respect thereof.

2.Appreciating though that not everyone is adequately trained to deal with and skilled in writing financial and economic reports apart from a universal ability to raise disproportionate alarm that borders on skullduggery in the absence of facts, my family wishes to set the record straight, in the interest of public disclosure of a now public matter to what the ” vast piece(s) of land”we own in Bulawayo entail and in the process,hopefully give a template to future reports of the same nature:

3. Name and description of property owned:
” a certain undeveloped piece of land situate…called Lot 81 Windsor Park…. Bulawayo.

4. SIZE of Land: 4166 square metres(about 1 acre).

5. Title Deed no: 945/92

6. Name of registered owner: Gideon Gono.

7. Bought for $25,000(Twenty five thousand Zimdollars)

8.Date of Purchase: 9 April, 1992.

9. Estimated current value: US$10-15000.

10. Outstanding rates: less than US$1500,00.

11. This “VAST” piece of undeveloped land will, after paying off the rates owing, be surrendered in exchange for fair value, to City of Bulawayo.

12. There is no need to waste resources” investigating” anything pertaining to this property when Council could better use the resources so earmarked to improve water supplies in and around Windsor Park area, the very reason why my family opted, way back, to purchase a completely built house in the City of Kings and Queens, than develop that “one acre vast piece of land into a house”.

13. Hopefully the media will in future try to place their facts in proper context so they do not mislead the public for reasons best known to the authors as a certain section of society outside Bulawayo was already excited about this “Gono corruption…of owning vast tracts of land when others do not have half an acre to build their houses…and dispatching people to my home area ( Buhera)with the report and to spread news of Gono’s corruption”!

14.Where people have legitimate queries or concerns about my integrity and family property portfolio, including what, where, how acquired, they should seek answers in a proper manner, in a proper context, and answers will be always be happily provided!