By Revesai Mavetera
The Harare City Council (HCC) has raised an alarm over the escalating issue of illegal land invasions in various suburbs within the city. In a press statement issued today, the council expressed deep concern over the growing trend and vowed to take decisive action to address the problem.
The suburbs affected by these illegal land invasions include Glen View, Retreat (Harare-Chitungwiza Railway Reservation), Budiriro, Mufakose, Crowborough, Kuwadzana, Tafara/Mabvuku, Kambuzuma, Warren Park, Glen Norah, Mabelreign, Chisipite, and The Grange, among others.
The council has discovered that unscrupulous individuals, commonly referred to as land barons, are manipulating unsuspecting home seekers by generating fake allocation letters, receipts, and diagrams. These fraudulent documents are used to deceive people into occupying unlawfully acquired land.
The HCC has taken immediate action by referring these cases to the relevant law enforcement agencies and its Audit Division for prosecution. The council is committed to ensuring that those responsible for the illegal land invasions face the full force of the law.
One disturbing aspect of these invasions is the misinformation spread by the land barons to the beneficiaries. They falsely claim that if settlers occupy these unplanned spaces, the City of Harare will eventually regularize the areas. Exploiting the vulnerability of desperate individuals, the land barons coerce them into erecting illegal structures under the cover of darkness or weekends, often using substandard materials.
This misinterpretation and abuse of section 74 of Zimbabwe’s constitution, which requires local authorities to obtain a court order to remove an illegal structure used as a home, is unacceptable. The City of Harare reiterates that it has no intention of condoning or legitimizing these illegal settlements.
It is important to note that the City’s initiative to regularize old settlements, based on a predefined template, is being exploited by land barons through fresh land invasions. The council clarifies that settlements located in reservation sites, such as wetlands, institutional areas, and recreational parks, cannot be regularized under Section 49 of the Regional Town and Country Planning Act.
Furthermore, the land barons have been spreading false information, claiming that their illegal structures will be protected from demolition due to the forthcoming elections and alleged “political protection.” The council categorically refutes these claims, emphasizing that no political party endorses or supports land barons in their illegal activities. Open spaces and ecologically sensitive areas, including wetlands, will not be spared from demolitions.
In response to this mounting problem, the Development Control Section of the HCC has compiled a comprehensive database of both old and recent illegal land invasions. The council intends to deploy bulldozers in the coming weeks to remove these illegal settlements. All necessary enforcement procedures and logistics have been put in place to ensure swift and effective action.
Residents are strongly advised to dismantle the illegal structures themselves to avoid the inevitable demolitions. The City of Harare remains steadfast in its commitment to restore order and protect its communities from the negative consequences of illegal land invasions.
