Fresh Harare mass demolitions on the cards

The City of Harare is poised to commence demolitions of illegal structures following a High Court ruling that ordered Brickstone Builders and Contractors, a land development company, to vacate a disputed piece of land in the Ridgeview area of Belvedere within seven days.

Justice Regis Dembure ruled that Brickstone had no legal right to occupy the land, citing the absence of a valid lease, allocation letters, or a council resolution-all mandatory under Section 152(2) of the City of Harare Act.

"The defendant and all those claiming occupation through it shall vacate stand 19156 Salisbury Township Lands (Municipal Plot)," read the judgment, authorizing the sheriff of Zimbabwe to evict Brickstone and any occupants claiming rights through the company.

Brickstone Builders is linked to prominent Zanu-PF-affiliated alleged land barons Spencer Mabheka and Lilian Chitanga, who are listed as company directors and currently face fraud and forgery charges. They stand accused of defrauding the City of Harare of 51 stands.

City of Harare housing development officer Edgar Dzehonye testified that Brickstone unlawfully grabbed the stands and sold them to unsuspecting home-seekers without following the required legal procedures.

"The defendant did not challenge the evidence on the proper procedure for acquiring authority to occupy or be allocated land by council," Dzehonye told the court.

Last November, the council issued 48-hour notices to occupants on the land and began demolition of illegal developments. Brickstone obtained a court interdict stopping the demolitions on the condition that no further construction would take place. The council subsequently challenged this interdict.

Brickstone had claimed that the Local Government and Public Works ministry allocated the land to it, attaching a letter purportedly signed by a Mr. Madzivire. However, Spatial Planning chief director Shingirayi Mushamba denied the ministry's involvement in any such allocation.

The demolitions have been controversial, drawing criticism from government officials. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi condemned the council for demolishing houses without court orders, while Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe ordered the council to halt demolitions pending the legal processes.

It is estimated that the illegal sales on the disputed stands amount to over US$1.5 million in losses for the unsuspecting buyers, as the City of Harare is expected to repossess the land and reallocate it to those on the official housing waiting list.

This case forms part of a wider problem of land barons linked to the ruling Zanu-PF party who have been accused of illegally grabbing land across the capital, including wetlands, leaving many home-seekers without compensation after council demolitions.

The city council has reiterated its commitment to restoring order and legality in land allocation and warned that further illegal developments will be dealt with strictly.