Harare Mayor orders demolitions

Harare – In a move that signals a looming showdown between authorities and illegal settlers, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has instructed the city council to reverse all leases and demolish illegal structures encroaching on Robert Mugabe Square. This directive follows an order from Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe to immediately halt subdivisions on the prime land, which is earmarked for government projects.

Garwe, in a letter addressed to the Harare Town Clerk, directed the council to withdraw all allocations, suspend all planning processes initiated on the remainder of Stand 3972, and prepare for demolitions should occupants resist eviction. “The government has noted with concern the subdivision and encroachments on Robert Mugabe Square and is, therefore, requesting the urgent handover of the property to the ministry of Local Government,” the circular reads.

Mafume has accused individuals of illegally parcelling out land and erecting substandard structures at the square, and has warned that the city will reclaim the site by force if necessary. “All leases must be reversed; it’s a directive,” Mafume told The Standard. “The finance department must act and instruct occupants to vacate. If they refuse, we will move in with bulldozers.”

The mayor expressed his frustration over the unauthorised developments, which include a bus company allegedly leasing space in front of the municipal police station and the construction of security walls at the square. “These are low-quality structures causing chaos,” he said. “If proper buildings were going up, it might be different. But this is just land grabbing.”

Mafume also cited other instances of illegal occupation, including at the Kuwadzana Fire Brigade station, where structures were erected during elections. “People thought they could get away with it because they assumed I’d be removed as mayor. Now we must clean up this mess,” he stated.

The mayor has further accused corrupt officials of enabling illegal land sales, which has tarnished the council’s reputation. The ministry’s demand for full control of the land underscores the government’s determination to reclaim the area for its intended purposes.

While no specific timeline has been given for the evictions, Mafume has adopted a tough stance against illegal structures.

The issue of illegal land occupation and sales in urban areas has been a long-standing problem in Zimbabwe. A report by Justice Tendai Uchena on the ‘Commission of Inquiry into the Matter of the Sale of State and Council Land in and around urban areas since 2005’ highlighted that land barons were often politically connected individuals. The report cited “abuse of political office in the allocation and appropriation of urban state land” and the “use of names of top ruling party leadership to exert undue influence on government institutions and processes.”

The Uchena report unearthed widespread corruption, illegal land sales, and missing funds, leaving thousands of Zimbabweans without proper housing and basic services. It recommended that the government investigate corruption in the allocation of land and suspend all subdivision permits for acquired urban state land. Other recommendations included auditing the activities of officials involved in land management since 2005 and conducting lifestyle audits on allegedly corrupt officials.

The situation at Robert Mugabe Square is just one example of the broader challenges related to land management and corruption that Zimbabwe has been grappling with for years.