Hwende denies receiving land amid allegations of stands-for-support deal for MPs

HARARE — Kuwadzana East legislator Chalton Hwende has publicly denied receiving residential stands in the upmarket suburb of Malbereign, distancing himself from allegations that land is being used to buy loyalty in Parliament and block President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s possible impeachment.

In a strongly worded statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Hwende—who chairs the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee—said he has not been contacted, approached, or consulted about any such allocation over the past year.

“I have just returned from my rural constituency, where I spent time engaging with the people in my village discussing our village developmental priorities for 2025,” Hwende wrote. “In Kuwadzana East I represent communities grappling with severe poverty, unemployment, and daily struggles to put food on the table.”

His remarks come amid reports that large tracts of land in Marlborough, Borrowdale Central, and Greystone Park—affluent areas in Harare’s Borrowdale district—are being quietly parcelled out to Members of Parliament as political inducements. The alleged goal: to secure MP support for a controversial move to extend Mnangagwa’s presidency and insulate him from possible impeachment proceedings.

Hwende insisted he was unaware of any official list of beneficiaries and called for transparency from the responsible authorities.

“While I cannot speak for every Member of Parliament, I find it deeply unfair to collectively condemn all MPs—especially those in the opposition—without verified facts,” he said. “If stands were indeed distributed, the responsible authorities must publish a transparent list naming the beneficiaries.”

The opposition lawmaker emphasized that such blanket accusations risk undermining public trust in lawmakers, including those not involved in any questionable deals.

“My focus remains on serving the people who elected me—people who cannot afford two meals a day, people who have no access to healthcare, and young people with no jobs or hope for the future,” Hwende said. “If there are leaders who prioritized personal gain over the suffering of the masses, they must be held accountable. But let us not paint everyone with the same brush.”

The ruling ZANU-PF party has not formally responded to the allegations.