AT least 200 families in Budiriro and Aspindale were left homeless yesterday after Harare City Council razed down their houses claiming they were illegal structures.
Council officials said the houses were built on wetlands and on land reserved for a school and clinic and were close to water tanks.
Some of the affected families were members of Zanu PF-aligned housing co-operatives — namely Vineyard, Tinopona and Nodville.
The residents questioned the timing and motive of the exercise which came shortly after Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere reportedly assured them that he was working towards regularising their stay.
Angry party officials threatened to dump the ruling party for failing to defend them.
Ironically, the demolitions coincided with commemorations of International Human Rights Day.
When our source visited the area, hundreds of armed municipal police officers were manning the area as residents were busy searching for their valuable household goods from the rubble, while council front-end loaders continued pulling down other structures.
“Kasukuwere was here recently and he promised us papers so that we stay freely. Are these the papers he has brought for us? We belong to Zanu PF and he came to campaign recently, the party won and now this?” a resident who declined to be named said.
Kasukuwere was not answering his phone yesterday, while mayor Bernard Manyenyeni was at pains to defend the council position on social media platforms.
“We are very keen to protect the city’s superior town planning and in doing that, we discourage any form of unplanned settlements. Where this has gone ahead without authority, we first seek opportunities for regularising as many of the structures as we possibly can,” Manyenyeni said.
“Where this is not possible, we encourage the affected people to relocate themselves, failing which we undertake demolitions only as a last resort and this must be done as humanely as can be. The sight of women and children being harshly displaced is not a good one to observe — no one must be seen to be enjoying this painful process.”
“There are enough arguments on both sides of this debate. We have enough people screaming for ruthless enforcement and we have enough voices pleading for the victims. The other sore aspect is that in most cases the victims would have been misled by pseudo-authorities, land barons and even some of our staff quite easily.”
Council spokesperson Michael Chideme said: “We can confirm that some illegal structures were demolished yesterday as some were built on wetlands, while others were too close to water tanks, which is a life hazard in the event the tanks burst.
“We will repeat this again that people should not buy residential stands from third parties without approval from council. We are the local authority and have jurisdiction over all the land in Harare.”
Several human rights groups described the demolitions as inhumane.
Source: Herald
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