MDC-T legislator Peter Moyo (Southerton) yesterday called for the resignation of National Housing minister caused by Daniel Garwe accusing him of being responsible for the chaos caused by demolition of illegal settlements in the country.
Moyo said this in the National Assembly, where he raised a
matter of privilege with the Speaker Jacob Mudenda, accusing the National
Housing minister of causing deaths from stress and pain among citizens after
their properties were razed down.
“The destruction of houses in Zimbabwe is now a cause of
concern to us. I raised the issue with Minister Garwe when he gave a
ministerial statement in the House, and he promised that no houses will be
demolished.
“However, in the past week, we have witnessed the
acceleration of these demolitions. It is
with a heavy heart that I raise this issue with you Mr Speaker Sir,” he said. Moyo
accused Garwe of destroying livelihoods of people through the “heartless
demolitions”.
“You can imagine the pain people are going through right
now. People have borrowed to build these houses. He is a saboteur of this
country.”
Moyo’s demands for Garwe’s resignation in Parliament came
at a time when Harare and Chitungwiza residents accused Zanu PF of shedding
crocodile tears over the demolitions in the two towns as well as Melfort in
Mashonaland East province.
On Monday, Zanu PF ordered stoppage of all demolitions,
describing them as “inhumane”.
Party secretary for administration Obert Mpofu during a
Press conference in Harare on Monday, which was also attended by Local
Government minister July Moyo and Garwe, said the party respected the rights of
people to shelter.
But residents’ associations said Zanu PF allowed land
barons to grab council and State land for profiteering.
Chitungwiza Progressive Residents Association
secretary-general Gift Kurupati said: “Politics is at the centre of all our
problems in Zimbabwe. They always play politics with people’s lives. We don’t
take that order seriously, it’s crocodile tears. They are allergic to
everything that can make Zimbabweans happy, they are always happy if they see
people suffer. They are the same people who are the architects of all the mess
in allocation of land, be it farmland or urban land.”
Harare Residents Trust executive director Precious Shumba
said Zanu PF created the illegal structures as a vote-buying gimmick.
“Land barons thrive because they are more connected to the
ruling party officials than opposition councillors and professional town
planners are afraid of expressing their professional views. The land barons are
involved in misleading the homeless people,” Shumba said.
“The matter should be resolved by our institutions and not
politicians. As a governing party, Zanu PF must facilitate pro-people housing
developments.”
Zanu PF director for information and publicity Tafadzwa
Mugwadi said his party could not be blamed as its message was clear that those
involved in illegal parcelling out of land should be arrested.
“We have never seen crocodiles crying, so literally, we
don’t know the content of their tears. The party’s statement, as pronounced by
the secretary for administration was very clear and unambiguous that residents
must never cut corners when it comes to buying stands, as well as that wanton
demolitions of people’s shelter must be ceased immediately,” he said.
“Those parcelling out land illegally must be brought to
book notwithstanding their rank in society and that includes corrupt
councillors who were collusive in these land deals.” Newsday
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