National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe said that the demolition of houses illegally built on land parcelled out by land barons will spread from Harare and Chitungwiza to other cities and towns.
Speaking at an event in Masvingo recently, Minister Garwe said the demolition of houses in Harare and Chitungwiza serve as “warning shots” fired by the Government.
Garwe said the regularisation exercise will take time and cooperatives should stop giving money to land barons but should pay the money to local authorities to enable then to service their stands. He said:
Regularisation is a process and not an event and we have told land barons not to touch people’s money.
These cooperatives should not continue getting money from their members.
The money should be paid to local authorities so that they can connect water, sewer and other services.
Demolitions and arrests have been done in Chitungwiza and of course, we are moving to other towns and cities around the country.
We have only fired warning shots (in Chitungwiza).
Garwe advised homeowners who have already paid for everything but are still to get services to take legal action against the land barons.
When one considers the fact that the last lot included numerous demolitions of LEGAL structures, it looks as though the courts are going to be inundated with more cases on this soon! You can bet there will be little to no compensation, as this lot will plead poverty, or alternatively refuse, as they’ve squandered the money some other way. If, or when, legal structures are demolished this time, the courts will hopefully not only award full compensation damages, but chuck those who ordered and carried out those demolitions into prison!