The government has ordered an immediate stop to all construction at Monavale wetland in Harare, after it emerged that 26 Members of Parliament were irregularly allocated residential stands on the protected Ramsar site.
Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution, Tafadzwa Muguti, said the development breached Cabinet policy on wetland protection.
He said wetlands are gazetted by the Cabinet and are strictly protected areas where no construction is allowed.
“When an area is gazetted by the Republic of Zimbabwe Government, it simply means that it’s a no-go area,” said Muguti.
He revealed that the Monavale site had been illegally set aside for low-density stands without approval.
“This was not cleared by Parliament, it was not cleared by Government, it was deliberately done by a group of 26 MPs working with the City of Harare,” said Muguti.
The government has now instructed the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to stop all activity at the site.
Muguti said there would be consequences, as it was clear someone had approved the project without even the Speaker of Parliament being informed.
He added that the allocation of residential stands to MPs is ongoing, but must follow the proper procedures.
More: The Herald
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