Chitungwiza acting mayor claims he is being sabotaged

ACTING Chitungwiza mayor, Kelvin Mutimbanyoka says council employees, including management, were sabotaging an on-going operation against illegal structures.

"I have realised that a lot of council employees and management are involved in the illegal parcelling out of land and they are now throwing out spanners in my way," Mutimbanyoka said.

"They are now working against me by constantly stalling the programme. Some of them are working in cahoots with land barons. We are doing an internal investigation. We want to bring sanity to this town. The days of lawlessness are over."

The demolition blitz on illegal structures started on July 14, and over 20 structures have so far been demolished.

This is not the first time Chitungwiza Municipality has demolished illegal structures in the dormitory town, having done so over the years, but the structures keep reappearing, while some owners have resisted the demolitions through the courts.

Last December, the municipality was forced to stop the planned demolition of some properties after the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) vigorously protested against the local authority's actions.

ZLHR argued that the demolition order did not comply with provisions of section 32 of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act and the Administrative Justice Act.

The human rights lawyers also cited a provisional order granted by Justice Edith Mushore on June 10, 2021, concerning demolition of all homes, precast walls and informal traders' structures.

Elsewhere, in a related matter, Marondera town councillors were yesterday divided over plans to demolish illegal shops and buildings in the town's central business district (CBD).

Ward 1 councillor Chengetai Murowa said he would not be part of the resolution to demolish the structures.

"Why are we talking of demolitions now when the buildings were being constructed before the eyes of the management? I will not be part of that resolution to demolish these structures," he said.

Tempers flared at council chamber as other councillors said the buildings should be demolished because the council was not benefiting.

Ward 10 councillor Jimmy Jalifu maintained that the buildings should be demolish to bring order in the CBD.

"We are setting a bad precedent for this town. If illegal structures are left sprouting, one day, we will wake up seeing someone building a structure at the council chambers," said Jalifu.

Citizens Coalition for Change councillors accused council management of allowing the sprouting of illegal structures after their recall.

"We were in the wilderness for two years and that is when those illegal structures were erected. Now we are back in office, you now want us to be part of the demolitions," said Ward 11 councillor Saizi Vilela.

Marondera town is witnessing massive mushrooming of illegal structures at open spaces.