The houses and flats with over 1,500 rooms now used as a Zanu (PF) base are dilapidated and serviced by only two water taps. They share dysfunctional toilets. Zanu (PF) officials who grabbed the houses are renting them out to some 5,000 desperate party members without paying rentals to council.
Efforts by the city council to evict the occupants and make way for refurbishment of the shelters have been met with resistance from the politicians. Council officials said the houses had the potential to raise over $30,000 in monthly revenue if the tenants met their obligations to the local authority.
The houses were handed over to the city by some companies such as the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).
“Very few occupants have leases while the majority are using political muscle to stay in the houses at the expense of development of the area and council revenue,” said Special Zuze, councillor for Ward 26 in Highfield West constituency.
According to Zuze, the occupants refused to move out and make way for construction of new houses and refurbishment of the dilapidated structures.
“A serious health disaster looms at Geneva as there are no proper services such as water and sewage system, while the small place is overcrowded. The council intended to destroy the structures block by block and construct new ones. Unfortunately politics has overridden council authority,” said Zuze, noting that the scenario was doing Harare no good since Geneva was at the centre of the high density residential suburb of Highfields.
Residents interviewed by The Zimbabwean on condition of anonymity said: “We were instructed by our party Zanu (PF) not to pay for accommodation and services such as water and electricity, in return for providing the party with hit squads when the need arises.” Zanu (PF) Harare Province chairperson, Amos Midzi, denied any knowledge of the issue.
“I am not aware of the matter and would investigate to establish the truth. Based on fundamentals, as Zanu (PF) we do not support anyone who refuses to fulfil his obligations to the local authority or to any other service provider,” Midzi said, vowing to get to the bottom of the matter.
Thomas Muzuwa, deputy mayor for Harare, noted that the people should be provided with services such as clean water and toilets. “The issue of evictions has to be done through a council resolution, as alternative accommodation has to be provided before anyone is moved from the area.
Post published in: News