Harare council fails to account for 100,000 houses

Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume has disclosed that the city is failing to collect rates from over 100,000 households due to an inefficient accounting system, further exacerbated by a growing number of illegal settlements. Currently, only 322,000 households are registered in the city's billing system, with irregular settlements threatening to surpass this number.

In a post on his X account, Clr Mafume highlighted that these illegal settlements are primarily on land reserved for basic amenities and public use.

"The irregular settlements number over 100,000 houses in and around Harare. These illegal houses will soon outnumber the legal rate-paying households of Harare, leaving the 322,000 legal households to foot the bill for everyone," he said.
Mounting Financial Woes

Harare City Council lacks a comprehensive database for its billing system, with ratepayer debts ballooning to ZWG2.7 billion as of September 2024. Clr Mafume warned that the city's financial sustainability is at risk if the trend of illegal construction and rate evasion continues.
Demolitions and Public Backlash

The council recently demolished 5,000 houses in Belvedere, claiming they were built illegally. However, this sparked public outcry, with residents questioning why such structures were allowed to be built in the first place.

One resident, John Mazanga, criticized the council's timing and approach, stating:
"Was demolishing all these houses the only way to resolve these problems? It takes time to build houses, and the administration watched this happen only to demolish after. Any thoughts on the humanitarian cost?"

Another resident, Bruce Dormice, added:
"How were these properties built in the first place? Who sold the land? How come heads are not rolling? There should be a paper trail."

Others suggested modern solutions like drone technology to monitor illegal developments and prevent further unauthorized construction.

Government and Legal Response
The demolitions have prompted government intervention, with Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe ordering an immediate halt to the demolitions, citing a lack of court orders. While affirming the government's commitment to housing as a constitutional right, Minister Garwe warned against reckless construction on unauthorized land.

"The New Dispensation values all citizens and respects the Constitution, which says housing is a fundamental right," he said. "However, we must not take the law into our own hands."
Blame on Councillors and Land Barons

Harare City Council's Principal Housing Officer, Edgar Dzehonye, accused councillors of complicity in the proliferation of illegal settlements. He claimed that land barons, often shielded by ward councillors, have undermined council administrators' authority to allocate land.

"Land barons are now categorized by their wards as they use complicit councillors as their conduits to get council protection from eviction," he said.
The Way Forward

The crisis has highlighted the need for systemic reforms within Harare City Council, including implementing a modernized billing system, enhancing oversight of land allocation, and leveraging technology to curb illegal settlements.

With the issue now under government scrutiny, stakeholders await measures that will address the root causes of the crisis while upholding residents' constitutional right to housing.