Chinese firm ordered to demolish wall built on Railway tracks

A Chinese-owned company that recently acquired land along Tilbury Road in Harare has been forced to tear down part of a perimeter wall it erected across disused railway tracks after city officials declared the structure illegal.

The firm, which has not been publicly named, bought the property at 44 Tilbury Road  - located adjacent to the Masimba Holdings headquarters - and constructed the wall for security purposes. However, the wall cut across old railway sidings, sparking public outcry and raising questions about land use compliance and urban planning oversight.

Images of the wall built directly on top of the railway tracks circulated widely on social media, prompting clarification from the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). In a statement, the NRZ said the track was a "disused, privately-owned siding leading to a now defunct factory which is currently being demolished after the property was bought by a Chinese-owned company last year."

The NRZ further noted that it has no direct mandate over the disused railway line but was aware that the City of Harare was looking into the matter. "They built the security wall to prevent thieves from accessing their newly acquired property," the NRZ explained, emphasizing that the siding no longer served any operational purpose for the national rail system.

Despite the NRZ's clarification, city officials insisted that the wall had been erected without following proper procedures. On Tuesday, workers were observed demolishing sections of the wall that had been built over the railway tracks.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume confirmed that the wall had not received the necessary planning permissions. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mafume said the City of Harare's Development Control Team had engaged with the property owners, who appeared unaware of the legal requirement for prior approval before building any boundary walls.

"The council explained that all boundary walls need official approval. The wall or part of it that is too close to the railway line must be taken down," Mafume stated. He added that the Chinese firm had assumed there would be no issue since the NRZ had not objected.

The incident has once again spotlighted concerns over regulatory compliance by foreign-owned businesses and the enforcement of city planning by-laws. It also raises broader questions about coordination between national agencies and local authorities in managing urban development.

As of Tuesday afternoon, demolition work continued on the site, with parts of the wall already reduced to rubble. City officials have not indicated whether any penalties or further enforcement actions will be taken against the company.