Harare City Council Demolishes Dozens Of Houses In Belvedere
The City of Harare carried out demolitions of dozens of houses in the Ridgeview area of Belvedere on Thursday, November 7, claiming the structures were built with fraudulent documentation.
In a statement, the City of Harare explained that the illegal buildings had been torn down once before, last year.
However, the occupants, encouraged by land barons who had sold them the land, ignored the council’s orders and rebuilt the structures.
The council said that prior warnings had been issued to the illegal settlers, instructing them to vacate the area before the demolitions took place.
Samuel Nyabeza, the acting director of planning, confirmed that the city is intensifying efforts to remove illegal settlements.
He also issued a stern warning to land barons, stating that they will be arrested without hesitation or favouritism. Said Nyabeza:
We have to restore order in the city and we will not tolerate a situation where people just build houses without approvals and permission from council. A settlement has to be planned with all amenities in place before people start building.
You cannot build a house without council-approved plans; you cannot build where there are no sewer and water facilities. We urge residents to check with the City of Harare before buying land. Even when building a structure, every stage should have council approvals.
The City of Harare said the land barons who sold land to unsuspecting residents in Belvedere have been arrested before and are out on bail.
In the meantime, the council has vowed to expand its demolition efforts across various parts of the city, making it clear that it will not tolerate any form of land invasion.
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