Govt stops Harare demolitions

The Harare City Council was forced to suspend its controversial house demolition exercise yesterday following mounting pressure from the government. The move came after a public outcry and strong criticism from Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, who described the council's actions as "inhumane."

The city council had planned to demolish over 5,000 houses built in illegal settlements across Harare, citing enforcement of 37 High Court orders. The targeted properties, primarily in high-density suburbs such as Kuwadzana, Budiriro, Glen View, and Mabvuku, were built on land that was reserved for essential public amenities.

Minister Garwe condemned the council's decision to issue only seven-day notices for residents to vacate their homes before demolition. Speaking to NewsDay, Garwe said, "What City Council is doing is inhumane and it is not acceptable. A person takes six months building a house and then you want to give them a notice of just seven days to demolish it? Where can they relocate in that short period of time?"

He suggested that a more humane approach would have been to allow residents a longer period, such as four or five months, to find alternative housing. Garwe made it clear that despite the court orders, the government would not stand by and allow such actions to cause unnecessary suffering.

"From now onwards, no house is going to be demolished. We are stopping them from demolishing houses. That's the position of the government," Garwe declared.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume confirmed the suspension of the demolitions, stating that the council would comply with the government's directive. "We are abiding by the order for the Local Government ministry to suspend the operation of law for now," Mafume said.

The mayor has previously acknowledged that many residents in these illegal settlements were duped into purchasing land from so-called "land barons," who often operate with political connections. These land barons illegally subdivide and sell disputed or unregulated plots, leaving residents unaware of the illegal nature of their purchases.

Many of the homebuyers invest their life savings into these properties, only to face legal challenges when authorities step in. As a result, several court judgments have been issued declaring these settlements illegal, leading to the demolition orders.

NewsDay has also learned that most of the land barons involved are politically connected, which has allowed them to evade accountability for their role in the illegal land sales. In a related development, police announced that at least 184 land barons had been arrested recently for misleading individuals into constructing homes on State-owned land, wetlands, and grazing lands.

Last week, Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi weighed in on the issue, declaring the Harare City Council's move to demolish the houses illegal. The controversy continues to highlight the complex issue of land ownership and illegal settlements in Harare, with many residents caught in the crossfire of a growing legal and political battle.

As tensions over the demolitions simmer, the government's intervention has brought some relief to those facing displacement, but the larger issue of land reform and accountability for land barons remains unresolved.