Occupation of unserviced housing stands to be criminalised

The Government is moving to tighten control over urban land use, with new regulations set to criminalise the illegal sale, occupation, surveying and construction on State land.

The measures, currently being finalised, will make the occupation of unserviced land a criminal offence. They are contained in the recently released Urban State Land Management Guidelines by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.

Under the new framework, anyone settling or selling land without authorisation from a soon-to-be-established Urban State Land Office will face prosecution. Developers will only be allowed to sell stands after obtaining compliance certificates, which members of the public will be able to demand for verification.

"Selling and occupation of unplanned and unserviced land shall be criminalised," the guidelines state.

The reforms also mark the end of parallel development, a system introduced in the early 2000s that allowed home-seekers to occupy land before installation of infrastructure such as roads and sewer systems. While designed to speed up housing delivery, the model was widely abused by land barons and unregistered developers, leading to mushrooming informal settlements.

For nearly two decades, such practices created chaotic urban growth, placing pressure on councils and undermining proper planning.

Going forward, all housing projects must be fully serviced and connected to off-site infrastructure before occupation. Responsibility for providing off-site services will rest with both local authorities and central Government.

"All local authorities shall ensure all developments within their boundaries are in accordance with approved layout plans, the operative master plan and local development plans," the guidelines add.

To improve transparency, the Urban State Land Office will be staffed with professionals in law, planning, GIS, estates management and surveying. Together with councils, the office will maintain publicly accessible waiting lists for residential, industrial, institutional and commercial stands.

Applicants will be required to pay a modest application fee and renew annually to remain on the list. Priority will be given to first-time homeowners who are residents or business operators within the local authority's jurisdiction and can demonstrate capacity to develop the land.

Only Zimbabwean citizens or holders of investment certificates from the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency will qualify for allocations.

By criminalising illegal land sales and strengthening oversight, Government hopes to restore order to urban development and curb the influence of land barons.