The government has distanced itself from the recent demolitions of houses in Ridgeview, Belvedere, and has ordered the Harare City Council to cease further destruction.
Last week, the City of Harare demolished nearly 20 houses in Ridgeview, claiming they were built on land illegally acquired from land barons.
The council also announced that the demolition blitz would soon extend to other areas in the capital where similar illegal structures were identified.
However, in an interview with ZBC News on Tuesday, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe said that the government was not involved in the demolitions.
He said the council had acted without consulting the parent ministry and had proceeded with the demolitions independently.
The minister also issued a directive for the council to halt any further demolitions until proper consultations were held. He said:
We condemn that action, and yesterday we directed the mayor and town clerk to stop the demolitions. We distance ourselves from, and the central government distances itself from such behaviour. We have nothing to do with that.
However, Garwe said that while citizens have a fundamental right to housing, this right mustn’t be exploited through the establishment of illegal settlements. He said:
The new dispensation values all citizens and respects the constitution, which says housing is a fundamental right.
People have the right to housing, but that said, we must not take the law into our own hands and say, I can build a house wherever I want.
The law will still visit you. We do not want to take advantage of certain developments, and people must not start building recklessly.
The demolitions have ignited a heated debate among residents. Some blame illegal settlers for purchasing land from land barons, arguing that they should have known better.
Others, however, point to Harare’s severe housing shortages as a significant factor driving the increase in illegal construction.
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