Harare City Council has descended on illegal businesses
operating on roadsides, demolishing structures, including car sales and cabins.
The demolitions will be extended to houses built on illegal
land and wetlands. Council has a court order to demolish illegal houses in
Crowborough Farm and Westlea.
Yesterday, municipal police together with the Zimbabwe
Republic Police (ZRP), descended on businesses operating illegally along
Tynwald Road in Westlea and Solomon Mujuru Drive (formerly Kirkman Drive).
Businesses operating along Solomon Mujuru Drive towards
Dzivaresekwa and Lomagundi Roads, are set to be destroyed in the next few days.
Those affected by the blitz include car dealers and people
selling cabins, bricks, pre-cast walls, flowers, goats, sheep, cement and
charcoal.
Illegal shops selling construction steel, cement and
roofing timber opposite N. Richards Wholesalers after Westlea were not spared.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and municipal police
officers, who were armed, would ask the traders to destroy their structures but
if they resisted, a front-end loader would move in.
The city’s corporate communications manager Mr Michael
Chideme said people operating illegally have already been served with notices.
He said there was no going back on the demolitions, which
are part of efforts to clean-up the city in line with the vision of a World
Class City by 2025.
“Investing in illegal settlements is a waste of time and
resources,” said Mr Chideme.
“We are encouraging people to settle on legal places to
avoid having their structures destroyed. Anyone on illegal settlements should
make sure that they remove their structures.
“We also want to preserve wetlands; so we want people to
stop putting up structures on wetlands as well.”
People operating businesses along Solomon Mujuru Drive
expressed sadness over the demolitions, claiming they were paying rates to the
local district offices and were shocked to see a front-end loader demolishing
their structures.
Chairman of the Kirkman Traders Association Mr Fidelis
Magava said they were not served with eviction notices.
“When we started these projects, we paid rates to council
and we agreed to pay $300 every month to operate our businesses here,” he said.
“Council then told us that there were people operating
under electricity lines and they needed to be removed. Today (yesterday) we are
shocked to see a front-end loader coming to destroy our businesses.
“But if the clean-up is meant to create a safe environment
for us, we have no problem with it. What worries us is that we have lost our
property and council did not give us any notice so that we remove important
things.”
Addressing a Wetlands Indaba at Town House on Thursday,
Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba warned that the demolition of houses
built on illegal sites was imminent.
“Right now, we must be able to find money to pay the
Messenger of Court so that our demolition team can start demolition of houses.
“We are starting our operation next week in Crowborough.
Those people who are illegally occupying wetlands will be forced to vacate.
People should not settle on wetlands as it affects our environment.
“A team has been set up to demolish illegal structures, and people occupying the
land should vacate. We have to protect human rights to shelter, but we also
need to protect the environment,” said Clr Gomba. Herald
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