ZANU PF-linked land barons are grabbing vast tracts of land reserved for the construction of schools and clinics around Harare amid accusations that the government is protecting them.
City of Harare last week started razing down illegally built houses in Ridgeview and Belvedere suburbs.
The government and the council last week clashed over the demolitions with the former accusing the municipality of demolishing the houses without a court order.
Outspoken City of Harare councillor, Denford Ngadziore, told Standard People that there were 5 000 illegal developments on council land.
“We have run out of space for schools and clinics as most of the space has been taken out by the land barons whom the government is now supporting,” Ngadziore said.
“We have a shortage of schools and clinics and how are we supposed to deal with the matter as the land barons are being supported by the government?”
Ngadziore said the council did not understand why the government was protecting the land barons.
“The government previously stopped the demolitions in Harare citing the 2023 election season and they then cited the Sadc Summit and now the rainy season,” he said.
- Corruption Watch: Get scared, 2023 is coming
- Corruption Watch: Get scared, 2023 is coming
- Letters: Ensuring Africa’s food security through availability of quality seeds
- Is military's involvement in politics compatible with democracy?
Keep Reading
“Soon they will cite winter to stop the demolitions.
“We have over 5 000 illegal developments awaiting demolitions.
“Some structures are built on top of sewer and water lines.
“It takes two days for a land baron to build a house and five years for the council to get a final demolition order from the courts.”
Last week, the council corporate communications division said the local authority is determined to stop land barons from illegally parcelling out land to unsuspecting residents.
“This criminality has to be stopped,” the department said in a statement.
“It is important that we protect residents from criminals who falsify documents and sell the land to innocent victims.”
The department said land barons linked to Brickstone Builders and Contractors Private Limited invaded land in Belvedere in 2021 and started parcelling out stands.
“The stands do not have the requisite water, sewer, roads and storm water drains which are required before one can settle on land,” the statement said.
The illegal developments sparked an outrage from the neighbouring community.
According to the department, the council responded to the illegal developments by instituting demolitions.
Brickstone, however, took the council to court claiming it had been allocated the land by the Local Government and Public Works ministry.
They attached a fake letter from the ministry signed by a Mr Madzivire.
The chief director spatial planning Shingirai Mushamba distanced the ministry from the allocation of council land to Brickstone.
Council then issued 48-hour notices to the occupants to stop developments, but Brickstone allegedly approached the courts using fraudulent documents and were granted an interdict to stop the demolitions.
The interdict was granted on condition that no further developments were to be undertaken by the illegal invaders.
The invaders, however, proceeded to construct the houses without approved architectural building plans as well as the attendant mandatory inspections.
The city council then moved in to demolish the houses.
