The Manyame Rural District Council (RDC) is set to demolish about 17 houses in Murisa Phase 2 built on the banks of Duri stream to create a functional drainage system.
The houses were affected by flash floods in January this year following the heavy rains, leaving families stranded and property destroyed.
Duri borders Manyame and Chitungwiza and the houses belong to people who were issued stands through the late land baron, Fredrick Mabamba’s United We Stand Co-operative.
The local authority said the homeowners were allocated alternative stands and advised to destroy the structures but have hitherto ignored the directive.
Manyame ward 8 councillor Tichaona Munhunepi (MDC Alliance) told NewsDay Weekender that a council delegation will visit the area next week and issue a final warning before the graders move in. He said:
When we moved around after the floods, we realised that affected houses in Murisa Phase 2 belonged to people who we had already given alternative stands and had since occupied.
But instead of demolishing their structures along Duri, they then looked for lodgers. Those who had not been allocated new stands are less than 10.
It is because they don’t have documents that explain how they got stands. We have warned these people several times to destroy their structures, but they didn’t heed the call.
Those who don’t listen must know that we are coming with a grader. When we open roads, we are not going to be stopped by their structures. They must go to the council offices and put their papers in order.