More Home seekers who bought stands in Rangemore under Umguza Rural District Council have come out in the open accusing Pure Gold Housing Trust of claiming that it provided the beneficiaries with houses.
Last week, Pure Gold Housing Trust operations manager Abraham Murata told CITE that all their clients under the Rangemore project had been given their residential stands and a number of them were already constructing their houses.
“Those claiming to have not been given the stands are not in our list and are the ones who withdrew their membership when the development was delayed,” said Murata.
He said the delay was caused by consultative meetings carried out between Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and Umguza Rural Council since the project was on the boundary of the two local authorities.
However, more beneficiaries have opened up accusing Pure Gold Housing Trust of lying that the beneficiaries had received residential stands.
Sitshengisiwe Gweme told CITE she has not been allocated a stand despite having paid all the needed amounts of money.
“I am writing to you as a response to the story where the Pure Gold Housing Trust operations manager is alleging they allocated stands to everyone. I am one of those yet to be allocated a stand despite paying all their dues,” said Gweme.
“When I asked Mr [Mthandazo] Khumalo (Bulawayo branch manager), he indicated that I was supposed to pay US$200 so as to be allocated a stand otherwise I will be considered for the second phase – but after having waited patiently and contributed fully, I did not get the stand. This manager is telling blue lies,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Hloniphani Sibanda from Tsholotsho District also said he was yet to benefit from the scheme.
“I am a client also; these people came to our district, Tsholotsho in 2012, we joined the scheme and we were told once you pay US$1000 you will be given a stand then after final payment of US$3000 then you are given the title deeds,” said Sibanda.
“In 2013, I paid US$1600. I had to stop paying after seeing that nothing was materialising and no stand was given to me, up to now 2021 I don’t have a stand; he is lying that all the clients were given stands,” he said.
“I am the one who created a group thinking maybe the manager from Bulawayo Mthandazo Khumalo will give us an update but he is also avoiding us,” said Sibanda.
In addition, another source based in South African said those beneficiaries who received their stands were being told to build without inspection and approval plans.
“I’m one of Pure Gold Housing Trust beneficiaries. These people are liars, all that Murata is saying is not true. They are telling people to start building without inspection and approval plans; they failed to develop the land for ten years. I got the stand but I can’t start building without proper documents,” said the source.
“They are supposed to give us an agreement of sale letter that I will produce to Umguza Rural District Council for plan approval and inspection but I do not have that. I want my house to be inspected and my plan approved before I start building,” he said.
Misozo Ndlovu, another client revealed that Pure Gold Housing Trust used to get the money from the beneficiary’s accounts.
“There was no paperwork, they used to take the money from our accounts every month and when we went to their offices they could tell you that your name is in their computer system,” said Ndlovu.
“My pay slip is the only proof that I have that will show that Pure Gold Housing Trust was taking my money. I started paying in 2014 when I used to earn in United States Dollars; they used to take US$50 every month. When we moved to the RTGS they started deducting ZWL$50,” she said.
Ndlovu said the agreement was to contribute US$1000 to get the residential stand.
“I contributed nearly US$3000 but I never got the stand,” she said.
