The Harare City Council demolished at least 39 houses in Arcadia, on Tuesday, accusing the homeowners of illegally building on service land meant for pipes and sewage systems. Most of the houses were built 20 years, a development which did not go down well with the residents who claim that it was the city of Harare itself, which allocated the land to them.
Council spokesman Michael Chideme said that the residents had been given adequate warning. Said Chideme:
We know they were there, but that is not an excuse. The warning letters were there to let them know of our intentions.
African National Council of Zimbabwe national chairperson Victor Noormahomed compared the council’s actions to operation Murambatsvina. Said Noormahomed:
Council authorised everything and now they have made a mistake just like what they did with Murambatsvina
They (council) are only doing this because Chombo was fired. When he was Minister of Home Affairs and later Minister of Finance, the council was okay with the houses. But because there are new leaders now they are destroying people’s houses. It’s not right.
A resident who spoke to NewsDay said:
We are not happy with what has been done. They knew we were here. We were not given time to vacate. They just came this morning with their bulldozer and told us they were bringing down the houses. The corruption is now too much.
More: NewsDay
this is terible.. people should be warned before spending thousand of dollars building houses. and then city of harare comes 20years later..
That’s true
As Owner of the Land now the ‘byelaws should have been revised sothat that ruling does stand in Engish Law of Property a(Prescription would be aremedy
The city MUST reimburse them by building them houses somewhere else or give them money equivalent to the value of their properties so they can be able to move. You can’t just leave people homeless after 20 years. They may have been given time but time means nothing if they are not compensated. Where should they go. You can’t just give people time without an alternative. That is cruelty at its highest level.
Total cruelty for sure, how can you say after 20 years your is illegal. Why wait for 20 years to say its illegal and also all this time they have been paying rates, water, ZESA through the the same system which later on says its illegal? Why were you letting them pay all those rates yet you know it was illegal?