Mabelreign demolitions expose council rifts

A controversial decision by the Harare City Council to demolish newly erected structures at Mabelreign Shopping Centre has ignited a political and administrative storm, exposing alleged internal power struggles, procedural irregularities and accusations of corruption within Town House.

The demolition of the donor-supported SME market structures over the weekend has drawn sharp criticism from residents and stakeholders, who say the move has opened a "can of worms" in council governance and decision-making.

The structures were reportedly developed following a proposal by Harare-based company Cartin Mark Investments, trading as Arise & Shine, which had offered to construct a temporary market facility as part of urban renewal and SME support initiatives.

According to documents, the proposal was submitted to the council's housing and community services directorate, with internal consultations involving senior officials including works and urban planning departments before initial concurrence was reportedly granted.

However, despite the earlier engagement process, council later moved in to demolish the structures, citing procedural violations and lack of formal approval through the required planning channels.

Harare mayor Jacob Mafume said the project had not been properly authorised, explaining that while proposals were discussed at committee level, they did not progress through the required planning committee for final approval.

"These structures were proposed in the SMEs committee and they are producing minutes instead of an approved plan," he said, adding that no formal change of use or planning permission had been granted.

He stressed that no private entity is permitted to construct structures in the city without full council approval through the correct legal processes.

However, the demolition has triggered allegations of deeper political and administrative conflicts, with sources claiming the project had become entangled in internal rivalries dating back to the post-2023 election council leadership changes.

Some insiders allege that competing interests and councillor-linked influence may have contributed to the reversal of the initial decision, while others argue that enforcement of by-laws was selective, pointing to similar informal developments elsewhere in the city that remain untouched.

Ward 16 councillor Denford Ngadziore, who has been linked to the project, has defended the initiative, saying it was intended to benefit vendors and had followed engagement processes within council structures.

He said he is engaging the mayor to clarify the matter upon his return, dismissing what he called misinformation circulating on social media.

Residents' groups have also weighed in, with Harare Residents Trust executive director Precious Shumba criticising the demolition as heavy-handed and calling for consistency in the enforcement of planning laws across the capital.

He argued that if council is serious about enforcing regulations, attention should also be directed at illegal land allocations and informal developments in other high-pressure areas.

The controversy has exposed tensions over urban development, SME space allocation and governance within Harare, with calls mounting for a full investigation into the approval and demolition process.

As debate intensifies, stakeholders say the matter could lead to disciplinary action or structural changes within council, depending on the outcome of internal reviews and possible external investigations.