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Mutare defends demolitions
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The City of Mutare has defended its demolition of illegal structures, saying property owners are given repeated warnings and opportunities to stop unauthorised construction before enforcement action is taken.
The local authority was responding to growing concerns from residents questioning why some structures are allowed to be built over several years before eventually being demolished.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the recently held Public Service Retirement Conference, Mutare Town Clerk Blessing Chafesuka said council follows a lengthy legal process and does not arbitrarily demolish properties.
He said prohibition orders are issued as soon as illegal settlements or unauthorised developments are detected, with council also engaging the affected developers.
Chafesuka said some developers, despite being aware that their projects are illegal, continue with construction while challenging council action in court.
"Usually, when you take the matter to court, the same culprits challenge the matter and the case then drags on for five or 10 years. Meanwhile, the culprit will continue with illegal development, and by the time the demolition order is finally authorised by the court, the property would have been developed extensively," he said.
He said once a competent court grants a demolition order, council is legally obliged to enforce it, regardless of the amount of money invested in the property.
His comments come amid increasing concern over houses and other structures built on illegally acquired or allocated land, as well as land reserved for public infrastructure and community services.
City of Mutare Director of Housing and Community Services Emma Mandiziba said preventing such demolitions was also the responsibility of prospective property buyers, who should conduct thorough due diligence before purchasing land.
She warned that rapid urban expansion had created opportunities for land barons and fraudsters to exploit desperate home seekers, particularly around the outskirts of cities.
"We have seen a proliferation of urban development, and with it has come a lot of fraudsters. People are building at the boundaries of cities, hoping that at some point those settlements will be incorporated into the city," she said.
Mandiziba urged buyers to establish ownership of land and verify that sellers have the legal authority to dispose of it.
She also advised those purchasing stands from private developers to confirm that all required planning and development approvals have been obtained from the local authority before paying for the property.
She said council could not overlook illegal developments once they had been identified, particularly where construction had taken place without approval or on land reserved for public purposes.
Mandiziba urged residents to exercise caution when buying property, saying desperation should not override due diligence when making what is often one of the biggest financial investments of their lives.
The local authority was responding to growing concerns from residents questioning why some structures are allowed to be built over several years before eventually being demolished.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the recently held Public Service Retirement Conference, Mutare Town Clerk Blessing Chafesuka said council follows a lengthy legal process and does not arbitrarily demolish properties.
He said prohibition orders are issued as soon as illegal settlements or unauthorised developments are detected, with council also engaging the affected developers.
Chafesuka said some developers, despite being aware that their projects are illegal, continue with construction while challenging council action in court.
"Usually, when you take the matter to court, the same culprits challenge the matter and the case then drags on for five or 10 years. Meanwhile, the culprit will continue with illegal development, and by the time the demolition order is finally authorised by the court, the property would have been developed extensively," he said.
He said once a competent court grants a demolition order, council is legally obliged to enforce it, regardless of the amount of money invested in the property.
His comments come amid increasing concern over houses and other structures built on illegally acquired or allocated land, as well as land reserved for public infrastructure and community services.
City of Mutare Director of Housing and Community Services Emma Mandiziba said preventing such demolitions was also the responsibility of prospective property buyers, who should conduct thorough due diligence before purchasing land.
She warned that rapid urban expansion had created opportunities for land barons and fraudsters to exploit desperate home seekers, particularly around the outskirts of cities.
"We have seen a proliferation of urban development, and with it has come a lot of fraudsters. People are building at the boundaries of cities, hoping that at some point those settlements will be incorporated into the city," she said.
Mandiziba urged buyers to establish ownership of land and verify that sellers have the legal authority to dispose of it.
She also advised those purchasing stands from private developers to confirm that all required planning and development approvals have been obtained from the local authority before paying for the property.
She said council could not overlook illegal developments once they had been identified, particularly where construction had taken place without approval or on land reserved for public purposes.
Mandiziba urged residents to exercise caution when buying property, saying desperation should not override due diligence when making what is often one of the biggest financial investments of their lives.
Source - Manica Post
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