Addressing residents who attended a Zanu (PF) rally last week, Chombo, who is also Zanu (PF) Secretary for Lands assured them that they would not be displaced again from the informal settlement.
He likened Hopley to Epworth, a low-income suburb some 15km to the southwest of Harare that started off as an informal settlement.
“Epworth started in this manner when people just settled on sub-serviced land. But government set up a Local Board which now runs their affairs and is bringing development to the place,” he said.
Epworth, home to thousands of people, is one of the poorest suburbs in the capital. It has no proper social services structures and most residents live a near-squatter life.
Chombo was accompanied to the meeting by Zanu (PF) National Political Commissar and Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu and the party’s Provincial Chairman, Amos Midzi.
He said all settlements that exist between the Boka Tobacco Floors where Hopley is located and Manyame Bridge along New Chitungwiza Road would have their welfare taken care of by government, promising that proper houses were being planned.
Hopley sprouted quickly after the 2005 Operation Murambatsvina, carried out purportedly to get rid of informal buildings and trade. Some 700,000 people were displaced and robbed of their property and livelihoods, according to the UN.
It is part of Harare South, the only constituency in Harare led by Zanu (PF) in the harmonised elections of March 2008.
Chombo discouraged Hopley residents from paying money to parallel housing initiatives. “You must not pay any money to any cooperatives because that money is not going anywhere and is not reaching Harare City Council; this is government land. We will be coming back before the end of this month to tell you how you are going to be properly settled before we hand you over to council,” he said.
A Hopley resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said some Zanu (PF) chairpersons were in the habit of extorting money from people seeking stands.
“Some stands here are owned by certain housing cooperatives who claim to have legally acquired the land while some sections are said to belong to HCC,” said the resident.
“On stands in the last section Mahalabe near Philip Chiyangwa’s graveyard, Zanu (PF) leaders resettled their supporters and sold some to people who were tired of lodging,” added the resident.
Political commentators say the rallies which Zanu (PF) is carrying out are a strategy to mobilise support against the new draft constitution and for people to (Vote No) at referendum if it does not include their 266 amendments.
Harare South, say polling experts was won by Zanu (PF) on the basis of manipulating poor and homeless residents living on settlements such as Hopley.
Post published in: News