Armed residents block demolitions

Harare City Council was last night forced to suspend its planned demolition of illegal structures in Glen Norah suburb after militant residents threatened to fight back and block the exercise.

The development came as the High Court ordered the local authority to stop the demolition of illegal business structures built by members of the Rights of Disabled Persons in Zimbabwe (RDPZ) in and around the city centre.

The situation in Glen Norah was tense and by 5pm, groups of residents armed with clubs, knobkerries and various other weapons had gathered at various sites targeted for demolition in Glen Norah B, vowing to fight back.

However, a senior council official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the planned demolitions had been hastily shelved despite expiry of a 48-hour ultimatum given to the residents earlier on.

Manyenyeni could not be reached for comment.

In a related development, High Court judge Justice Mary Matanda-Moyo had earlier ordered the local authority to stop the demolition of illegal business structures built by members of RDPZ in and around the city centre.

Through their lawyer Norman Mugiya, people living with disabilities said the demolition of their market stalls breached their constitutional rights and should be stopped forthwith.