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Land barons uses 'lawfare' against City of Harare
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More than 144 sites in Harare have been illegally occupied by land barons, forcing the city council to seek recourse through the courts, Parliament heard on Monday.
The capital has witnessed a surge in illegal buildings, many erected on wetlands, roadsides, and other unsuitable spaces, raising alarm over unregulated urban sprawl and environmental degradation.
Harare's Housing Director, Admond Nhekairo, told the Parliamentary Thematic Committee on Climate Change that land barons were exploiting legal loopholes through what he described as "lawfare" to frustrate the council's efforts to halt the illegal developments.
"There is now a tendency by some of these invaders, what I can call lawfare, where they quickly rush to the courts with dirty hands and apply for spoliation orders to regain what they feel they are being repossessed of in terms of that piece of land," Nhekairo said.
"We will be in courts for two years while developments continue. When council finally wins its case, we then have to take restorative action to rectify the illegal structures. This is the challenge we are facing."
He said the 144 sites referenced reflect the growing brazenness of land barons in occupying municipal land without approval.
At the same meeting, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) revealed it had received 152 applications for developments on wetlands, mostly from developers and from Harare City Council seeking to regularise illegal subdivisions and land-use changes.
"The agency has so far received a total of 152 applications for proposed developments in wetlands. It's quite a huge number. These include Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) applications from developers, as well as applications for proposed subdivisions or land-use changes from the City of Harare and the Department of Spatial Planning," said EMA Acting Director-General Christopher Mushava.
"It is positive that at least now we are communicating on what needs to be done."
Harare's wetlands crisis and rampant illegal developments have been a growing concern for environmentalists, with fears that continued degradation could lead to long-term damage to the city's fragile ecosystems and water sources.
The capital has witnessed a surge in illegal buildings, many erected on wetlands, roadsides, and other unsuitable spaces, raising alarm over unregulated urban sprawl and environmental degradation.
Harare's Housing Director, Admond Nhekairo, told the Parliamentary Thematic Committee on Climate Change that land barons were exploiting legal loopholes through what he described as "lawfare" to frustrate the council's efforts to halt the illegal developments.
"There is now a tendency by some of these invaders, what I can call lawfare, where they quickly rush to the courts with dirty hands and apply for spoliation orders to regain what they feel they are being repossessed of in terms of that piece of land," Nhekairo said.
"We will be in courts for two years while developments continue. When council finally wins its case, we then have to take restorative action to rectify the illegal structures. This is the challenge we are facing."
He said the 144 sites referenced reflect the growing brazenness of land barons in occupying municipal land without approval.
At the same meeting, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) revealed it had received 152 applications for developments on wetlands, mostly from developers and from Harare City Council seeking to regularise illegal subdivisions and land-use changes.
"The agency has so far received a total of 152 applications for proposed developments in wetlands. It's quite a huge number. These include Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) applications from developers, as well as applications for proposed subdivisions or land-use changes from the City of Harare and the Department of Spatial Planning," said EMA Acting Director-General Christopher Mushava.
"It is positive that at least now we are communicating on what needs to be done."
Harare's wetlands crisis and rampant illegal developments have been a growing concern for environmentalists, with fears that continued degradation could lead to long-term damage to the city's fragile ecosystems and water sources.
Source - Zimlive
